7 Beach Hacks for Special Needs Families

Our family loves going to the beach. We enjoy getting in the ocean, collecting sea shells, resting under the umbrellas, and walking along the beach at night. But chasing Bethany Grace, our daughter with multiple special needs, up and down the beach all day in the hot sun makes the day a lot less enjoyable! Many challenges can arise on trips for families of children with special needs or disabilities (of any age). Over the years, we’ve discovered seven tips for special needs families to have more fun and lower the number of meltdowns (from the entire family)! I hope these hacks help make your trip less stressful so you can enjoy having fun as a family.

1. Rope off a Parameter

Without a visual marker for the safety zone that she’s allowed to stay in, Bethany Grace loves to roam the beach. A couple of years ago, we discovered that if we mark out our family’s area around our umbrellas, she will stay within the area! So, make a visual parameter and (hopefully) relax under your umbrella.

You can use cones, rope, or even draw the lines in the sand.

2. Fill Up a Kiddie Pool or Raft

We found that Bethany Grace loves to sit under the umbrellas in a kiddie pool playing in the water with her rubber duckies, buckets, and other beach toys. She even puts sand in the water to shovel and pour. This is great water and sand sensory play (just water if your child doesn’t like sand). If your child doesn’t like getting in the ocean or playing in the sand, this is a good solution! Take an inflatable kiddie pool that you can easily blow up and fill it with ocean water. Better yet, bring an inflatable boat raft that you can also use in the ocean and pool. Have your child (if they are able), go back and forth with a bucket to fill up the pool. This pool is a great place for your children to rinse sand off of them as well.

Playing in the pool in the shade will also keep your child cooler, out of the sun, and eliminate the number of times you need to apply sunscreen.

Bethany Grace is unable to tell us when she’s burning and overheating, so we keep her under the shade as much as possible. If the beach doesn’t allow sunshades or umbrellas, we always come prepared to pay for several umbrellas—this is just a priority for our family to make the day more enjoyable. In fact, we usually plan which beach we go to based on what kind of shade umbrellas or canopies are allowed.

3. Make a Consistent Schedule for the Week

Most people thrive on knowing what’s planned for the day, especially children with special needs. Having a consistent routine for the week helps lower everyone’s anxiety, prepares our children for transitions, and allows the beach and pool time to be more enjoyable (especially when it’s time to get out of the pool). Use a timer on your phone to alert everyone to the upcoming transition (I recommend announcing upcoming transitions 10 minutes, then 5 minutes, then 1 minute before beginning to pack up). When we all know what to expect, we can enjoy each activity more.

Keep the beach times shorter rather than longer and return to the room for breaks.

Here’s a schedule that’s works well for our family:

1. Eat Breakfast
2. Pack up for the beach
3. Spend time on the beach and at the pool
4. Come back for lunch
5. Rest period
6. Go back for a short time at the beach and pool
7. Come back for dinner
8. Spend family time in the hotel
9. Bedtime.

Based on your family’s needs, post a written or picture schedule and stick to it as much as possible for the week.

4. Find a Creative Way to Apply Sunscreen

The dreaded time to put on sunscreen is unavoidable. But finding a creative way that will help your child tolerate the process can make all the difference.

We’ve learned that it’s worth the time coming up with a way to make sunscreen application a new experience.

Here are some ideas for making the time fun or at least tolerable:

• Allow your child to draw pictures with the lotion on their skin before rubbing it in
• Use Zinka colored face and nose block
• Use spray sunscreen and allow your child to spray someone else and themselves
• Allow your child to rub lotion on your arms
• Use a makeup sponge and allow your child to dot it on their face and rub it in

Use a First-Then Board: “First sunscreen, Then Water”

• Sing a silly song
• Turn it into a massage (unless your child has an aversion to touch)
• Give them a small reward if they cooperate (like a beach toy)
• Let them play on their tablet while you lotion them up

5. Choose a Beach that Has Free Beach Wheelchairs and Ramps

Carrying, pushing, or helping our children wade through the sand is exhausting. If you’re able, choose a beach that offers free beach wheelchairs and ramps with easy access. I’ve found that many beaches do offer this service! Some website links are at the bottom of this post.

You can call the city’s chamber of commerce to inquire about local beaches that offer this service.

There are also often stores near beaches that rent the wheel chairs for a daily fee. Also, it’s worth it to invest in an all-terrain wagon or beach wagon. If your child is small enough to ride in the wagon, this is a great way to get them across the sand. And no one loves carrying umbrellas, floats, and beach toys while trying to help your child back up the beach. It’s so worth it!

6. Bring New Sensory Toys

A new water or sand funnel wheel, a net for picking up shells or fishing for toy ocean animals, rubber ducks, or toy treasures can help with transitions and behavior.

The trick is to wait until after sunscreen is applied and you make it across the sand down to the beach.

Toy fish or ocean animals and a net for the kiddie pool, treasures hidden in the sand that your child can dig for, or a new sand mold can interest your child and help with following the routine the next morning.

7. Prevent Chafing and Sensory Aversion to Sand

Sand in the swimsuit can ruin a day at the beach, especially for boys.

These tips also work well for girls.

Here’s 2 tricks—

1. Buy sports or compression underwear or shorts. This will limit the amount of sand that gets stuck in the swimsuit.

2. Use a product like Glide to prevent chaffing.

I hope that these seven beach hacks help your family have the best trip ever.

What tips do you have to help other families?

Share your ideas in the comments section below.

Learn these tips as well!

Info About Beaches that Offer Free Beach Wheel Chair Rentals:

https://thatsmypark.org/visit/beachwheelchairs/

https://mobilitydeck.com/free-beach-wheelchair-rentals/

https://getonthesand.com/services/rentalpricing/

Blessings,

Kristin

Kristin Faith Evans, MA, MS, LMSW

Kristin is an author, a speaker, a mental health therapist, and a special needs mom. Her greatest passion is walking with others on their journey to deeper faith and emotional healing. As a Licensed Masters Social Worker and with her Masters in Christian Education, she has served in youth, camping, and retreat ministries and is experienced in Christian counseling, couples and family therapy, substance abuse treatment, and crisis counseling. Kristin lives with her husband, Todd, and their two children in the Nashville, TN area. When she is not enjoying life with her family, writing or working with clients, you can find Kristin training for triathlons, reading, or simply being out in nature. Visit her author website at www.KristinFaithEvans.com