A Guide to the Beach

Summer in Metro Detroit is here, and we hope you are enjoying every bit of the warm weather so far. There is nothing quite like a sunny day spent by the water. Maybe you are thinking about hitting Lake St. Clair Metropark or setting up camp at Stony Creek. Wherever you go, we want you to get the most out of your day. So, we’ve put together a handful of our favorite beach hacks and simple ways to keep everyone happy and safe by the shore.

Playing in the Sand

It’s not a beach day without playing in the sand. There’s something so nice about sitting back and watching the kids have fun. They can sift through wet sand and collect shells, build sandcastles, write their names in the sand, play tic-tac-toe, and use their imagination.

The Secret to Hiding Your Belongings

Nobody wants to spend their time in the water constantly looking back to see if their keys, wallet, and other belongings are safe. You can easily keep your valuables secure with a trick that keeps everything hidden.

Put your items in a big Ziploc bag and seal it flat. Before you lay your beach towel down, scoop out a decent hole in the sand. It can be shallow or deep, and you can cover it in sand if you’d like. The only concern is not going so deep that you are worrying about trying to get it out later. Then drop the bag in, lay your towel over it, and put your less significant things on the towel, like a water bottle and sunscreen, to really sell the trick and weigh the towel down. By doing this, you’ve got one less thing to worry about when you’re in the water.

Sun Safety

As always, don’t forget your sunscreen, hat, umbrella, and other UV-protective gear. Be sure to follow the instructions on the container, but here are a few helpful tips to remember: apply every 2 hours, apply before you are exposed to the sun, and thoroughly rub in spray-on sunscreen. Make sure to get every part of the body (people often miss spots). Over 75% of people miss the area between the nose and the inner corner of their eye. In fact, up to 10% of all skin cancers occur on or around the eye. 

Setting Rules in the Water

Water safety is essential for a relaxing beach day. Make sure to set up a safety system. We all want to relax at the beach, but it can be a lot with kids. If you’re with another adult, have them take a shift to actively watch the kids without any distractions. Then, when the time is up, they can hand over the job to you so everyone gets a chance to relax, read, or go on their phone.

It’s critical to have a designated adult keeping their eyes on the water, but teaching your kids a few simple boundaries before they get wet gives everyone peace of mind. A good idea is to tell your kids to always face the open water rather than the shore when they are playing. This makes sure they can see a big wave coming and balance themselves, rather than getting caught off guard from behind. It is also smart to establish a firm boundary on the water level, a line in the sand, so to speak. It’s your decision, but maybe it’s about keeping the water at waist level or the chest, and reminding them to steer clear of thick weeds that can easily tangle around their ankles. And for the beach, setting a limit on how far they can walk is a good idea.

All things considered, we hope you savor the summer and enjoy all of your beach days this summer using some of our tips. If you need anything for the beach, come visit us at Whistle Stop. We have toys for the sand, balls to play catch with, and floats. At the end of the day, the most memorable beach trips are simple and spontaneous.