Taking 8 Month Old to the Beach...

All 7 of my kids were started out at the beach when they were just a couple of weeks old. They love the beach to this day, so do my grandkids. Inever took a play pen (pack n play) with me because of not wanting permanent sand in it. I always took 2 beach umbrellas and 5-6 jugs of water to wash dirty babies off with. I also take plenty of sunscreen (baby banana boat), beach toys an lots of water to drink. I just let mine crawl around in the sand the the edge of the water to get acquainted with it all. It one huge sandy mess, esp with my 1 and 2 yr olds now but it is sooooo much fun. Have a great time and don't forget the beach unbrella with the anchors that go down into the sand. I got my anchors at Walmart for $10. hth

#1, plan on her getting very dirty and try not to let it bother you until you're on your way home LOL
#2, get a little beach tent made just for babies, they fold flat and pop up when you open it, they come with stakes to hold it down and have built-in SPF 50 i believe. she can play in there with some toys and get out of the sun
#3, take plenty of sand-digging toys and buckets and let her dig to her heart's content!
#4, if she wants to play in the water, there's no getting around the fact that you're going to have to hold her, and yes, she'll probably get salt water in her eyes. just wipe her eyes with a clean towel or tshirt and she'll probably forget about it in a second. if it bothers her too much, you could try having her wear sunglasses if she'll keep them on, that might cut down on the amount of water in her eyes
#5, she WILL eat sand, and it WON'T hurt her =D
#6, just go with the flow! as long as you keep her slathered with sun screen, keep a hat on her head, and have lots of wipes on hand so you can get the sand off her butt when you change her diaper...the rest will be fine!
(we lived in hawaii when my 1st daughter was a baby, so trust me when i say it's not as bad as you think it'll be)

The best thing to bring... babypowder! It's a must, to get sand off of you & your bebe. Try it & have fun!

K.,

My mom bought a blow up pedicure tub (about 12"x15") from Sally's Beauty Supply. She took it to our lake house for the kids to play with on the pier when the adults were tired of swimming. My 2 year old fits in it with her whole body and loves playing in it. It would be perfect for you to take and fill with fresh water for your daughter to play in. I know it sounds strange, but it kept my daughter happy for hours each day! You may also want to take a canopy to set up to keep you all out of the sun. You may also consider taking a small blow up float/boat for her to crawl around in so that she can get a break from the sand. One more thing...Take a pair of pants for her to wear, because the sand will irritate her knees if she crawls on it too much.

Have fun on your vacation!!!
T.

I agree make sure to bring some shade with you, digging toys, sunscreen and extra towels.

She is definitely going to get covered in sand, but so what it won't hurt her. Also allowing her to crawl around at the edge of the water (where the water is just touching the sand) will be fine. The salt water won't damage her skin, and if she gets it in her eyes or mouth you can just wash it out with the fresh water. Our tears are saline so a little extra salt isn't going to hurt her.

Make sure to take your camera too!! I'm sure you are going to have a great time!

My husband and i took out 9month old to the beach for the first time 3 weeks ago.. And i had the same concerns you did. We bought her a life jacket and my husband took her in the water. She really had a good time. We also took with us a huge beach towel and she enjoyed sitting and crawling on it. But to our surprise she stayed on the towel the whole time she didnt try to touch the sand or eat it. She also really enjoyed looking around at all the people and activities going on around her. Just dont forget the suntan, sunglasses( if she will keep it on), a Hat and plenty of water (she enjoyed drinking it from the water bottle instead of a baby bottle) Afterward s we washed her off. and she was pooped!!

You can pack on the sunscreen every 45 min., use a good round hat, take lots of water and formula bottles in case for dehydration prevention, use one piece not two piece bathe suite. Also you can let them make castles in the sand. But it is alright to take them into the water at the edge only to feel the water on their legs. Sit there with them it is okay. I took my daughter to a Jamaca beach for three hours. It was okay she mainly played in the sand. She is so sensitive. I have to pack her up with lots of sun block 50%. You can also take an umbrella. Have lots of fun.

At 8 months, my daughter was tasting everything... All I can envision is sand in your baby's mouth. Sorry, I don't have any helpful tips except maybe that you might want to bring a spray bottle of water to help get sand off her hands, lips, eyes, etc. Its hard to get sand particles off with your hands and towels, especially if the sand is on them already.

She will love the water, just make sure you have an umbrella or canopy for shade, lots of fresh water or juice to drink and lots of sun screen. Go get some beach toys from wal-mart or somewhere and let her dig in the sand... I took my daughter when she was that age and she had a blast, now I can't get her out of the water... It won't hurt her to play at the very edge of the water and play. and when she's ready for a nap you'll have the pack-n-play for nap time under the shade... she'll be fine and will have an absolute blast.

I think it is silly to drag gallons and gallons of water to the beach to rinse off your baby. The best and lightest thing to carry with you is baby powder. Yepper baby powder gets rid of sand fast than water ever will. I also suggest soaking some washcloths in water, put them in a baggy and stick them in the fridge to get cool. take them to the beach with you so you can wipe the sand off your baby's face, since you really shouldn't use baby powder on her face (as to not breath it in).
You can always *rinse* off at the little spicket that most places have near the pool or at the edge of the boardwalk.
ENJOY!