Many people who live in our area (Northern Virginia) don’t know about Leesylvania State Park. It has a couple of beachy areas (along the river), a fishing pier, several boat docks, a visitor center with historical displays, really friendly rangers, and awesome picnic areas. Visiting Virginia State Parks with kids offers many activity options, and many options for the accompanying adult to relax.
Items I’d recommend for a casual visit to Leesylvania or another park with a beachy river area:
- Kids sun hat! We leave these hats in the car at all times. I love the flap that hangs down in the back for sun and bug protection.
- ADULT sun hat! This is my outdoor everything hat. The beach, fishing, hiking.
- Sun protection. I’m allergic to regular sunblock, and so is kiddo #1 (but even if they weren’t, I wouldn’t be able to help them apply, or touch them until after they’d showered, if they were utilizing regular sunblock), so I get Sun Bum spray and Sun Bum face sticks.
- Nets. These nets are awesome for water critters and for bugs (though I discourage my kids from using nets to capture bugs). The pack of 3 lasted us more than a year with regular use.
- Bug spray. I know the use of deet bug spray is pretty controversial. I do try to avoid spraying on skin when possible, but after trying many of the natural sprays, I’ve found that Deep Woods works best for us. Kid #2’s mosquito bites swell up so much that we’ve ended up in urgent care several times. We also tend to wear loose long pants when we know we’ll be in the woods or in a particularly buggy area. I also spray hats instead of hair/their heads when possible. Not just for mosquitos, but ticks.
- Water shoes! We love Keens. These are the first pair listed on amazon, but if at all possible, sandals with an open back (open underneath the strap, so not a closed heel) seem to be easier to put on, take off, and allow sand to fall back out while walking in the water.
- Plastic bags in the car. I always keep a roll of small bags in the car, for travel potty usage, and also to store wet/sandy clothing for the ride home. Please let me know if you have more environmentally friendly suggestions — maybe a dry bag?
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