Baby's first beach trip is coming up soon, and you've got all the essentials. Baby sunscreen, a baby-sized beach towel, a hat, and a cute new swimsuit – plus tons of snacks, of course. Now that safety is covered, it's time to plan for fun. What will baby play with on the beach?
As a mom of three, I've gone to the beach unprepared and had to leave shortly afterward as my 6-month-old cried between rubbing sand in his eyes and shoving sand in his mouth. Having something to put in his mouth other than sand or the toys his brothers were playing with would have been ideal — and I won't make that mistake again! When you come prepared with toys to entertain your little one, a beach day will be so much more enjoyable. Shop a few of our favorite beach-bound baby toys below.
Moonkie Silicone Beach Toy Set
©Moonkie – Original
Price: $64.99
Babies spend as much time playing with toys as they do chewing on them (and maybe more on the latter). That's why sand toys that are chew-friendly are a great idea. This Moonkie set is made of food-grade silicone and comes with 10 sand toys, two digging tools, a sand bucket, and a mesh bag to store everything.
One happy parent said that other parents on the beach ask them about these toys every time they go. “The quality is great,” they wrote. “And the silicone makes all items in this kit super flexible (soft). This flexibility is perfect for little ones and helps a lot on storage!”
Haba Sand Play Dump Truck
©Haba – Original
Price: $24.99
Babies love dump trucks, and this truck from Haba has a special baby-friendly handle to make it easier to grip when rolling over sand and shells. It’s waterproof and sturdy, so it can handle baby filling it with water and sand. A happy customer said that it's easy to hold for both 1 year olds and 3 year olds.
Melissa & Doug Seaside Sidekicks Funnel Fun
©Melissa & Doug – Original
Price: $11.49
This cool beach funnel from Melissa & Doug can be used with sand or water for ultimate fun on the beach. Simply pour water or sand into the top funnel, and watch the layers below tip, spin, and sift all the way to the bottom. Parents love this for their babies, with one five-star reviewer calling it a great beach toy for her grandkids ages 9 months and 2 years.
Playroom Collective Pop Up Beach Tent
©Playroom Collective – Original
Price: $135
OK, so technically this isn't a toy, but your baby will love it nevertheless. This pop-up beach tent from Playroom Collective provides a sand-free area for your baby to play or nap in, plus the built-in shade with UV 50+ will protect their delicate skin. Not to mention, just look how cute this gorgeous strawberry pattern is!
Sun Squad Light-Up Bubble Maker
©Target – Original
Price: $10
Bubbles make everything better, even a trip to the beach! This fun, light-up bubble blower rotates bubble wands continuously for nonstop bubbles, making it perfect for babies. Just set it up on a cooler or beach chair and point it at baby so they can enjoy the bubbles without messing with it. My 3-year-old has loved this toy since he was a baby, and we love that he can have bubbles without spilling the solution or getting messy trying to blow bubbles himself.
Nuby Watering Can Bath Toy
©Nuby – Original
Price: $7.99
Watering cans are so cute in the hands of a baby! And this adorable one is baby-sized, making it easy for tiny hands to grip and pour. Simply fill it with water from the ocean and let them pour it over the sand (or their cute little heads). A five-star reviewer wrote, “My little loves to use this in the bath, at the beach, and especially in the garden. Nothing is cuter than her trailing me and mimicking me watering plants in the garden!”
Extasticks Beach Stacking Cups
©Amazon – Original
Price: $12.49
Babies might have a hard time handling sand buckets, which is why these beach stacking cups are perfect for little ones. The colorful cups are shaped like sea creatures and can sift sand or water, stack to form a tower, or scoop up sand. One happy parent shared an unusual perk to this toy: it discourages babies from drinking salt water. “My baby used it for our trip to St. Lucia,” they wrote. “It was great because the water escaped out of it, thus making it hard for her to drink the salty water. Perfect for little hands to hold and knock together during play time.”
Sun Squad Silicone Sandcastle Set
©Target – Original
Price: $10
The simplicity of this toy makes it in a win in our book! It comes with a silicone shovel, pineapple scoop, and collapsible sand bucket that makes it easy to pack in the diaper bag. Reviewers who tried it loved the sturdiness of this set, with one person writing, “It is good quality. The scoop is made very well. I am highly impressed. And would recommend this for anyone with children.”
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Tetiana Yablokova/Shutterstock.com.