Beach Toys & Essentials
We’re in full summer mode - combined with that time between Christmas and New Year’s when I’m not quite sure what day it is - here in the Southern Hemisphere. That means just one thing: BEACH TIME! Each year we update our beach gear as our needs change. I previously posted about some of our gear, but this list is a little bit more focused on fun and not necessities. I can say that we still use every single item on the previous list, but here are our most-used beach toys and essentials for the 2021/22 summer.
Agenda Paddle Board - There are a lot of stand up paddle boards on the market, but this one came highly recommended. We made the plunge and investment and haven’t looked back. This board is huge! It’s stable and can accomodate an adult plus the two kids so everyone can go out at the same time.
Agenda Kids Inflatable Paddle Board - Confession: after enjoying the large, adult paddle board, we decided we didn’t always want to share, so we got a kids version. My eight year old can it on his own, but my six year old is still intimidated by it. It is so much fun to go out on our own boards together!
Alto Stackable Sandcastle Equipment - These moulds make sandcastle building a breeze. There are so many different configurations for the three pieces that there ends up being a lot of architectural variety in each sand castle.
Hape Master Bricklayer Set - To make perfect walls for any sandcastle, the Hape Bricklayer Set is the right tool. The trowels come in handy to smooth surfaces, too.
Wahu Phlat Ball - My son received one of these as a birthday present, and it has provided more hours of entertainment than I think any other gift. He can treat it like a frisbee or a ball, and it is a lot of fun to fill with water and toss to people. It’s shockingly simple yet fun.
Kathmandu Festival Roamer Chair - We’ve had these chairs for three years now - and in fact this is the only repeat on my lists because they are the one thing that ALWAYS go to the beach with us - and they still look nearly new despite so much use. They’re easy to carry and set up. There are many days when I take one of these chairs and a backpack with a few essentials for me and the kids, and that’s the extent of our beach packing for the day.
Snapperrock Swimwear - There is a lot of swimwear in New Zealand, but I’ve found a lot of it to be lacking in quality if it is cute. The best brand I’ve found is Snapperrock which (bonus!) has matching family sets if you want to go that route…. and I do. At least for the kids. Their suits are good quality, don’t fade like all of the other stuff I’ve found, and are cute without being obnoxious.
