Finding a home that fits your needs when traveling with children can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Many homes just cater to the adult guest. Here at Beach House Retreats on LBI, we know the importance of having things to help parents while on vacation. Your stay away from home will be much easier having everything you need to keep the little ones occupied.
A few years back we had a very rainy summer season. This was a concern with our headcount we cater to. We book for Multi-Gen Families, and Large Grouped Retreats as a rule. Having 20 some people in a home during a rainy spell can wreak havoc on a vacation home. This made me think about how to entertain the masses during an off weathered stay. I added some more games (over 50 games now!), puzzles for all ages to enjoy, books, and magazines to the house.
I looked up fun things to do that families or groups could do together to entertain or to benefit the group and added a jam-packed hanging folder full of ideas. We have an indoor scavenger hunt, outdoor scavenger hunts, sun, star and moon contest, lists for an ice cream bar, recipes for mocktails & cocktails to try (have a chowder competition, make some new appetizers, desserts, learn some short cuts for making breakfast, lunch, and dinner for large groups), places of interest on and off the island, coupons to things, games that get all ages playing during a holiday stay just to name a few.
The living room has a round coffee table that doubles as a play table or a dining table for the little ones. We have bright cute little chairs for the tots that each hold up to 160 lbs. Along with our normal dishes we have a children’s set of bright colored plastic plates, bowls, cutlery, cups, and sippy cups.
We also have a pack and play that has the bassinette feature and changing station. There is a separate changing pad for your use as well. If you have a baby that needs a highchair, we have a clip-on version. There are bath toys, a baby monitor, and a noise machine for your use. In the #3-bedroom downstairs there is a bookcase with baby-pre-teen books, coloring books, puzzles, wooden blocks, Duplo’s (baby-midsized blocks, not small building sets). In our wooden train shaped toybox we have some puppets, Fisher Price type towns, and more. In the beachy toybox upstairs we have a huge set of Mr. Potato Heads so you can enjoy a funniest head competition with the kids!
When you’re ready to hit the beach, we have a few higher beach chairs so you can spring into action when you’re called to ocean duty. We also have a few options of shade for the family including a tent, umbrellas, and a cabana. We have a nice beach cart to pack up to help get the families gear all down the beach as well. We have sand toys, enough for multiple kids so no one is crying they don’t have a shovel or sand mold. If you or the kids like to boogie board, we have a selection of sizes to choose from.
If your family likes to play outside games, we have a few all-play types: Flamingo Ring Toss, Cornhole, Connect Four, Ladder Ball, Lawn Darts, Washer Toss, Tiki Hook & Ring Toss, and even Giant Jenga. We are on a dead-end street if you want to bring bikes or riding toys for the kids. The islands’ Beach Ave. is a 15-mph road during the summer (25-mph in off season) so it is fun to take a family bike ride together.
Once night falls hits the shed wall makes a great backdrop for an outdoor movie night if you have a projector. Also, in the Fall-Spring months we have a fire pit to make the nighttime ritual just a bit more fun. Don’t forget your smores kit and skewers.
Finally, I want to mention, after getting the kids down for the night you parents deserve a nice soak in the 4th floor rooftop deck hot tub! The hot tub is open year-round. Bring your slippers, robe, and warm hat in the cooler seasons.
So, to recap, what to pack: You, your kids, clothes and maybe bikes. Enjoy your stay at Beach House Retreats, on LBI, NJ!