Beach Bums in Winter

• What: Beach clothing in cold weather
• When: 12 months and up
• Why: Keep kids warm and dry
• Where: On the beach

We recently visited friends at the beach. In November, you say? Yup, and not only did we spend several hours at the beach, but several (crazy) people got in the water, which hovered around 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12 Celsius), not exactly my idea of swimming temperatures.

Clothes for my three kids and a day at the beach in the off season.

My kids got in the water, too, but slightly less intentionally. In the fun that comes with predicting water levels as the tide comes in and protecting sand creations, they got hit by the occasional rogue wave. Here’s what my kids wore to keep them warm and comfortable.

Fleece pants work great even for the beach.

Fleece Pants: I can’t rave enough about fleece pants. I know the cliche, but fleece pants do the job, and they do it remarkably well. Not only can one pair last through all three of my kids who are rough on pants in particular, but fleece pants hold in warmth without overheating. At the beach, when my kids invariably get wet, these pants dry quicker than cotton and other materials. That means that while I can still wring water out of my daughter’s cotton pants (she vetoed the fleece plan), my son’s soaked fleece is dry after lunch.

My kids, like most, had no interest in avoiding the shallow water.

Rain boots: In the summer I give a hearty vote to Crocs sandals for the beach. The winter brings a different story. For winter fun, it’s all about Crocs boots. Or any rain boots will do, the higher the better. Boots mean that when a wave catches them unaware, they can run away without wet feet. Warm feet mean we all get to stay and play longer, and I get less complaints.

My kids’ rain boots come from Amazon and Target and keep their feet dry at the beach.

Spare socks: Even with tall boots, I packed a spare set of socks for each kid. I also had spare pants just in case anyone fell over. Let’s be honest. We had a quick trip, but even at only one night, they had a spare set of clothes consisting of the the set they wore and didn’t get soaking wet the day before. Even so, I tossed in a spare pair of socks for each kid just in case. Smartwool or similar socks work best.

Hats: I also firmly believe in hats. My kids chose the type. Two went for warmth, and one went for his ever present baseball cap. I think any hat helps, since it’s unlikely to get wet but keeps heat inside their bodies. As an added bonus, even the warm hats got pulled down low enough to block the winter sun, which hung low in the sky.

We lucked into some crazy good cold sunny weather.

All in all, we had a fabulous morning and early afternoon on the beach, thanks in large part to appropriate outfitting.