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How to Bring Your Baby to the Beach: 19 Tips to Make It Easy (and Fun!)

Going to the beach is a lot different now that you have kids. Here's what you need to know to make it a fun trip for everyone (20 Photos)

Holly Pevzner on Jul 6, 2012 at 1:26PM

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How to Bring Your Baby to the Beach: 19 Tips to Make It Easy (and Fun!)

Katrina Wittkamp/The Image Bank/Getty

19 Tips to Make Baby's First Beach Vacay Easier

Forget everything you love and know about the beach: having a baby or toddler on vacation changes everything. He'll eat the sand, you'll need a tent (trust us!), and you're not actually going to get to lounge for more than five minutes. But don’t worry, it’s not all bad! Here’s what you need to know about taking your babe to the beach -- and how to make it a great experience for the whole family.

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If your beach trip involves a hotel or a house rental, book it right on the beach. Do not -- we repeat do not -- opt the cheaper place down the road. No matter how well you plan, you'll be walking back to your room several times for something you forgot to bring. (Or for that toy your kid has to have, right now!) It'll save you several thousand bouts of under-breath cursing. Plus, if you're close, it's easier to trade off who goes home to put the baby down for a nap and who stays with the other sand-loving, wildly-running around kids.