Some of my best childhood memories are from summer days spent as the beach; splashing in the waves, building sandcastles, eating ice cream cones, it’s what vacations are made of. Now that I’m the parent I’ve learned that a day at the beach is not as simple as just hopping in the car and driving to the nearest body of water, showing up at the beach unprepared for the wet bathing suits, sunburn and hunger can quickly turn a fun day into a full-blown melt-down.
Check out our suggestions on what to pack for a day at the beach, including when you have a baby or toddler in tow. Yep, it’s a lot of stuff but it’s totally worth turning yourself into a pack mule to ensure that everyone has a day full of fun.
Essential Things to Pack for the Beach
1. Sunscreen
You want to leave the beach with great memories, not a sunburn, so make sure to slather on the sunscreen at least 15 minutes before you head out the door and re-apply every couple of hours or after playing in the water. For the little ones (over 6 months old), pick a water-resistant broad-spectrum sunscreen that is at least SPF 30 and contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. It’s also a good idea to throw on some SPF 30 lip balm.
2. Water
It’s important to stay hydrated so bring water bottles for everyone. We like to fill insulated bottles and add plenty of ice so the water stays nice and cold all day.
3. Lunch and snacks (lots and lots of snacks!)
The key to lunch at the beach is to keep it simple with non-sticky, easy to eat foods (i.e. requires a fork at most) that can withstand a few hours of sitting in a cooler. We like sandwiches or wraps along with an easy to eat pasta or potato salad. Bring along plenty of snacks too, all of that swimming and playing in the sand will make a kid hangry; some of our go-to’s include cubed watermelon, grapes, vegetable sticks with hummus, popcorn, pretzels, granola bars and smoothie/applesauce pouches for the toddler.
4. Medication and miniature first aid kit
Don’t forget to pack any medications that you or the kids take during the day or need in case of an emergency such as an inhaler or epi pen. Keep medications in the shade or in the cooler if they can’t withstand warmer temperatures (the package will tell you if they need to be kept at a certain temperature). It’s always good to have at least some first aid basics handy for those smaller injuries that don’t
5. Wallet with cash, credit card, insurance card, etc.
Do yourself a favor and bring cash; you don’t want to find yourself standing in front of the cash-only concession stand with nothing but a credit card and a 4 year old with her mind set on ice cream.
6. Wipes and hand sanitizer (plus diapers if you have a baby or toddler in tow)
Wipes are convenient for cleaning sticky hands and hand sanitizer is nice to have for those visits to the less than clean bathrooms or for after changing the umpteenth diaper.
Beach Gear
For everyone
- Beach wagon (because how else are you going to get all of this stuff to the beach?!)
- Beach bag
- Beach chairs
- Beach/picnic blanket
- Canopy tent or beach umbrella
- Towels (consider bringing two per person if you like to swim a few times per day)
- Cooler/cooler bag
- Beach toys: buckets, shovels, boogie boards, frisbee, football, racket games
Additional stuff for toddler/baby
- Beach tent (great for getting out of the sun or napping)
- Portable playpen
- Battery powered fan (stroller fan)
- Puddle jumper or other Coast Guard approved life jacket
- Splash pool (great for those who don’t like the ocean but still need to cool down)
Clothes/Accessories
For everyone
- 2 bathing suits (it’s nice to be able to put on a dry suit after swimming)
- Dry t-shirt and shorts or cover-up
- Dry underwear
- Long sleeved shirt or light sweatshirt
- Hats
- Sunglasses
- Flip-flops or water shoes
Additional stuff for toddler/baby
- UPF 50+ swimsuit
- Long-sleeved rash-guard or UPF 50+ swim shirt
- Sun hat that shades eyes and neck
- Extra outfit
- Swim diapers
Miscellaneous Stuff
- Cell phone charger
- Books/magazines
- Wireless speakers
- Plastic or mesh bags – for trash and wet clothes
Be sure to download our printable beach vacation packing list so that you don’t forget a thing for your next trip to the beach. Have fun!
