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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of True Value. The opinions and text are all mine.
Once the warm weather hits, we try to hit the beach as much as we can (I say we, but Pat hates the beach with every fiber of his being. So he’s usually forced into it, haha!). My favorite thing to do is have a beach picnic with the kids! I’ve strategized over the years and have come up with some Summer Beach Picnic Essentials that I bring with us every time we go, so I thought I’d share them with you today to make your life a little easier if you’re attempting a beach picnic with kids!
Summer Beach Picnic Essentials
A good cooler. The beach with kids can’t happen without food. It just can’t. I like to pack easy foods for the kids to snack on throughout our beach day. Finger sandwiches, watermelon, grapes, dry snacks, and even those kid fruit and veggie pouches (I still use those…SUCH a great and easy way to get fruits and veggies in the kids, and easy cleanup!). I try to avoid anything that requires a fork because my kids are way too excited to sit and eat lunch that way at the beach. Finger foods are key.
We are currently loving True Value’s Orca Cooler because it keeps things COLD. It can hold up to 24 cans (not that we’re drinking, but so you know for size!) AND can keep ice for up to 10 days! Thats insane to me, and my husband commented that we should’ve had this a few years ago during the hurricane when we lost power for a week (every place ran out of ice and we lost SO much food). The Orca Cooler has a cargo net for drink ware and other essentials, and it’s lid gasket and whale tail latch ensure a perfect seal. There’s also a LIFETIME warranty! Keep reading because there may or may not be a giveaway for one at the end of this post! 😉
A waterproof beach mat. I invested in one of these last year, and it’s the best thing I purchased! Mine folds up easily, has a handle I can wear over my shoulder, and wipes clean in no time. Much easier than a beach blanket!
An umbrella. We always bring an umbrella to the beach, but I think it’s especially nice to sit under here and eat our food with some cool water when the time is right. It gives the kid a chance to cool down and refuel for more beach play!
Sunscreen. This is a no brainer, but no beach picnic is complete without sunscreen for us and the kiddos. I feel like our summers are way too short here, so I like to get the kids outside as much as possible. Sun protection all around is important!
Hand and face wipes. I like bringing these to the beach so I can wipe the kids hands and faces before and after they eat. Sandy hands and food are bound to happen with kids, but I like to wipe them clean at times if I can!
A little garbage bag. For some reason the garbage pail at our beach is a good ways away from where we sit, and I just have zero desire to walk over there with my kids whenever I need to! I’ve made it a habit to bring a little grocery store bag to use as a trash bag to then dispose of when we get to the parking lot. WAY easier.
Here’s a little video about our beach picnic adventure!
And now True Value has been kind enough to offer up an Orca Cooler for ONE lucky Lauren McBride reader! These coolers are valued at $199.99, so this is quite the prize! Enter via the Rafflecopter below (if you’re on mobile, click “A Rafflecopter Giveaway”) and good luck!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of True Value. The opinions and text are all mine.
I love the summer treats and vacations!
One of my favorite summer activities has always been beach time. There’s just something so calming and relaxing about the ocean.
This looks like all the right things for an awesome family day at the beach!
Great tips for beachside picnic with little ones! LOVE that cooler, too!
Great tips for a beach picnic with little ones! LOVE that cooler too!
Cute beach pictures!! I also love having a beach day during the summer 🙂
Such cute pictures! Looks like a great cooler!
Great Giveaway!! I have been looking for a good cooler! Thanks!
Favorite thing about Summer. . . living on Guilford CT shoreline!
My favorite thing about summer is having time off from teaching to enjoy with my family!
I love to get to the beach early and spend the day with family and friends in the sun and water. Total beach girl!
My kids are total (jersey shore) beach bums too! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
I love being able to spend so much time as a family in the summer. We are able to do fun things outdoors and spend quality time together!
I love spending time at the beach during summer!
This cooler looks great, and I love picnics in the summer! I’m always dragging my hubby on picnics every chance I get 🙂
I love summertime because I get to eat all the fresh veggies I can grow in the garden.
I’ve always loved spending the summer at the beach. We’re taking our two year old tomorrow and although it’s going to be a totally different experience (not relaxing at all) I can’t wait to make memories and watch her fall in love with it just like I did!
This looks so fun! We love picnicking during the summertime too! There’s something about eating outside that makes the day feel a little more adventurous–even if it’s just in the backyard!
I live in a city so during the summer I like to sit out on my stoop, have ice cream and watch people go by.
live this!
Great tips!
I love spending the warm days up at the lake.
I love that the kids are out of school, so families get to visit more often.
There are so many things I love about summer!! We like going out on the boat and to the beach. This cooler would be perfect for either!! Thanks so much for such a fun giveaway
I love that we all get a break for the summer! We are a homeschool family so the school year is so busy for all of us. We can finally relax in the summer when lessons are done! Going to the park for a picnic or just riding bikes is our favorite thing to do.
Love a great beach trip!
Love this giveaway! Our family loves to camp and go to the beach during the summer. This would be perfect!
I’m a teacher, so my favorite thing about summer is that I get to spend uninterrupted time with my kids!
This cooler looks amazing. One of my favorite things about Summer is Picnics.
We recently moved from Connecticut to Memphis TN but I used to love being so close to the ocean. I loved taking my son to the shore and watching him run into the waves! Now we love spending time exploring at the nearby park. although my husband and I would choose the beach any day 😉
Great tips! I love all the extra family time we get in the summer.
What I love about summer is vacations, pool time with my husband and son.
I love summer because it seems as if everything is in casual mode and you can relax and enjoy life instead of always rushing around.
Spending more time with my kids!
One thing I love about summer is the warm weather and summer nights and refreshing no alcoholic drinks. Beautiful family, God bless y’all!
Love this! Our little one is finally old enough to enjoy outdoor activities, and this orca cooler would be perfect for those hot Texas days (which is EVERY day! Ha!). Super excited about this giveaway! 🙂
My favorite thing for summer is taking my kiddo swimming and:or camping!!!
My absolute favorite thing about summer is going to the beach and lounging by pool and TRYING to get a tan LOL ????
Looks like a great cooler. I could really use that at my house 🙂
What’s not to love? ❤️
I love playing with my son outside, we have a blast in the summer months! And I am a sucker for road trips, going down 101 is a favorite and we’re going to next month. 🙂
One thing I love about summer is the longer days because you can do so much more in the evenings with daylight lasting longer 🙂 you can even head out and go fishing or swimming after work and have plenty of time to play !
I love all the day trips that I go on with my family!!