We love these hacks for beach trips with babies

It’s time to break out the bathing suits and stock up on the sunscreen, mama. Summer is nearly here.

As much as we love family beach days, we know they require planning and work. Sand gets everywhere (and we mean everywhere.) Wrestling sunscreen onto a wiggly toddler could be an Olympic sport. And our water babies aren’t always fans of cold water and giant waves. We’re always looking for tips to make our beach trips easier for everyone involved.

That’s why we love this viral TikTok from a mom who has some genius hacks for beach days with babies. Kate Bast shared a video of how her family enjoys some fun in the sun—and it has over six and a half million views.

For starters, she recommends applying sunscreen to baby’s face with a makeup brush. The brush allows you better control over where the sunscreen goes—and it comes with the added bonus of not getting your hands slick with lotion.

She also recommends bringing a baby bathtub to the beach. In the video, she fills the tub with ocean water and shows her daughter happily splashing in the tub on the beach. It saves her daughter from having to brave the waves. The sunlight warms up the water, too, for a more enjoyable playtime.

We love this tip—instead of a blanket, Bast uses a fitted sheet for a makeshift playpen. She uses large items, like chairs and coolers, to anchor the sheet. The high sides keep sand out and her daughter in. Genius!

Lastly, instead of throwing her sandy beach toys in a big canvas bag like we do, she recommends using a mesh bag. When Bast shakes out her bagged toys, the sand easily falls back to the beach—and stays out of her car.

Bast’s hacks have gone viral.

“Parents will send me pictures and videos of their kids enjoying the hacks,” she told “Good Morning America.” “The best part about it is seeing it helps people,” she added.

We love to see moms sharing their best parenting tips. This life is hard—worth it, but hard. We’ll take all the tips and hacks we can get, especially if it means more fun for our little ones.