7 minute read
Beach Essentials for Families
BY JESSICA ALLEN
Sun: out. Bathing suit: on. Sounds like today’s a beach day. Pack our essentials in your tote or trunk for safe, summer fun. Our picks range from the best in protective gear to toys for the whole family to enjoy. Surf’s up!
Babiators Sunglasses
babiators.com
Babiators aren’t just cute (although they are super-cute), they’re necessary. Kids’ eyes are more susceptible to sun damage than adult peepers, and not just because kids spend so much time outside. Children have clearer lenses and bigger pupils than grown-ups. Protect your baby’s blues (and greens and browns and hazels) with a pair of Aviators ($22), specially designed for the under-5 set. Bigger kids can go for on-trend styles like the heart-shaped Uptown ($32) or super-round Weekender ($36).
BoB Sunscreen
brushonblock.com You can’t have a list about beach essentials for families without mentioning sunscreen, of course. But BOB ($25) is different. BOB stands for “Brush on Block.” This mineral-based powder won’t sting eyes or drip onto a beloved swimsuit, but it will offer a broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30+ protection that won’t harm marine life (it’s also vegan-friendly and cruelty-free). BOB comes with a bright soft brush, so you can teach your baby or toddler to say “bye-bye goopy lotion” with every application.
Coolibar
coolibar.com Here’s a genius product: a hat that looks cool, and has a Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating of 50+—which means it’s blocking 98 percent of harmful UV radiation— baked in. Coolibar has you covered, with its bucket hat ($29) in marlin blue watercolor or navy coral reef (pictured). But there’s something else remarkable about the hat, which comes in two sizes (s/m, for ages 4-8) and (l/xl, for ages 10-12). It can go in the water! And the UPF will never wash out, no matter how many cannonballs your kid attempts, or trips through the spin cycle it takes.
pottery Barn Beach Ball
potterybarnkids.com Pottery Barn offers an array of 20-inch beach balls ($29.50). They’re designed to be tossed, kicked, carried, and even sat upon. For extra magic, wait until you get to the beach before inflating—and watch your child’s eyes light up as the secret object suspended inside the ball is revealed. We like the rainbow (pictured), but our top choice faced some tough competition from the narwal, shark, and smiling sun. Deflate when you’re done, and stick it in your tote for your next trip.
Create a Castle Building kit
createacastle.com Developed by a self-described sand castle-building super fan, Create A Castle does exactly that. You pack the sand into the top of the cylinder, place it where it needs to go, then unbuckle and open it to reveal a perfectly shaped turret or tower. The Pro Tower Kit ($49.99) comes with everything you need to make your own Windsor, Osaka, or, closer to home, Belvedere Castle. And, during the winter, when beach days are distant memories (sigh), you can break out the Pro Kit and build an epic snow castle.
Sea to Summit phone case
seatosummitusa.com
Bringing your phone to the beach is a great way to preserve your memories, keep up with your favorite podcast, and take that can’t-miss Zoom call. But getting a phone filled with sand, or water, is less ideal. As Sea to Summit puts it, “avoid having to put your phone in rice. Rice is for sushi.” The company’s waterproof case will keep your treasured tech safe, while ensuring you don’t miss a text or a tweet. The smaller size ($29.95) measures 5.8-by-3.3 inches; the larger size ($34.95) tops out at 6.7-by-3.6 inches.
Beach Essentials For Families Cont’d
Sony wireless portable Speakers
electronics.sony.com Beaches and music go together like peanut butter and jelly, or ham and cheese. Sony seems to have designed its SRS-XB43 wireless speaker ($199.99) with beach life in mind: not only is the speaker dust-, rust- and waterproof, but it works horizontally or vertically (perfect for when your cooler/table only has so much space). Great bass too. Plus, the batteries last for up to 24 hours, so you can seamlessly transition from kiddie classics to adult favs as day turns into night. And the speaker is washable, so no worries if it gets splattered with the aforementioned jelly or sunscreen.
takeya
takeyausa.com You can’t have much fun in the sun if you’re worried about staying hydrated. Enter Takeya’s water bottle ($22.99), designed with kids in mind. It’s insulated, so it will stay cool for 24 hours no matter how hot it gets. The 14-oz version comes in black or teal, both with an easy-to-open spout lid. Our favorite feature just might be the bumper on the bottom, which ensures a gentle landing and minimizes scratches and dents, regardless of how hard the bottle gets thumped.
tesalate towel
tesalate.com It’s hard to escape sand when you’re on a beach— unless you’re laying on a Tesalate towel, that is. This Australian company uses a custom-made microfiber blend to prevent sand from sticking to, or coming home, with you. Somehow, each strand is 200 times thinner than a human hair, and yet the towel ($59) holds up to a liter of water without dripping. It also dries super-fast and folds up to about the size of a paperback book. Inspired by the coast, Tesalate patterns are bold, beautiful, and easy for your little ones to spot.
waverunner Balls
waverunnerball.com Waverunner balls have to be seen—or, er, thrown—to be believed. Each ball bounces on the water. Think skipping stones, only with bright balls and no special technique required. Seriously! The number of bounces depends on how hard and far you throw, but the balls will most definitely bounce, making these balls perfect for everyone, regardless of athletic ability. The Water Skipping Speed Duo ($14.99) comes with one small and one medium ball. Great for a simple game of catch, all-the-better for a heroic game of splash-football-handball-back spin-tag. Okay, so, we literally just made that up, and can’t wait to try it out.
Jessica Allen writes about food, culture, travel, and New York City, where she lives.
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