Coming up with a title for this post was sort of comical. First I had it “Tips for the beach with kids,” then I changed it to “What to pack for the beach with kids,” then I decided what the heck “Beach with Kids,” it is, because it’s all of the things, just like unfortunately – you need ALL OF THE THINGS with you on the beach when you have kiddos! Yes, all of them – if you think you might need it, just bring it!
To make your life easier, if you are driving down. Prepack your beach bag before you leave town! It will save you time when you get here and will make sure you don’t leave anything at home! You can always Amazon Prime things to your house or hotel room if you don’t have it to also save time!
THE OBVIOUS
Sunscreen– spray, stick for face and cream
Water – bring at least one per person per hour
Snacks – Pack your snacks in small portions, like the snack Ziploc bag size. This prevents the entire bag of chips from being spoiled if sandy little hands enter the bag, and trust me they will!
Beach Buggy – we don’t use these because we have stairs at our beach access – but if you’re directly on the beach or have a ramp – I would recommend, makes it all easier to get in one trip.
Lunch- easy to grab, labeled and individually packed. This is a good time to sneak in some healthy foods like frozen strawberry or banana slices!
Bug spray– yellow flies come and go and bite! Just in case they show up, have it available! We actually use this sunscreen with bug repellent in it if they are bad!
Wet Bag– in case of accidents or after a change of clothes
Dry tee shirt + shorts + extra swimsuit
Hats
Sunglasses
Brush for girls
Money – ice cream, waters, lunch delivery if you don’t pack it
Music – we use this speaker and hang on the umbrella
Umbrella + Sand Anchor – anchor helps for windy days
Backpack Chairs
Towels, Extra Towels – I bring one for each person plus 2 extra, one to lay down (typically a beach blanket) and one in case another gets gross.
TRICKS + TIPS
Pedialyte Popsicles- these will not stay frozen long in your cooler but they are still so good for the kiddos to drink, and our kids love them more than if I mix it myself. It will keep them hydrated on those long hot days that they probably are not drinking enough water
Baby Powder- This knocks off all the sand without having to get wet!!
Phone pouch – I use this one, you can still take photos through it!
Large hard cooler vs soft cooler – this also acts as your table for eating lunch so you do not have to lug down a small folding lunch table.
Trash bag/grocery bags – saves you 20+ trips up to the trashcan in the hot sand.
Things we don’t typically take, because..
..we usually only go down 3-5 hours since we live here, but I would recommend if you’re going to be there for more than 5 hours.
Tent – these can get stuffy and hot in there, so keep an eye on the baby if they are sleeping.
For the young babies – battery operated fan. We only use these for the first few months of our kiddos lives, but it’s great when they are at the age that you want to take them down for just a little while but do not want to get them wet yet. Remember: even when you are in the shade. Babies can get burnt from the heat and reflection of the sand! Please don’t take your newborn to the beach for too long!!
Larger Toys– snorkel, paddle board, kayak, boogie boards, sand boards, the works. We have them all but we NEVER take them all to the beach with us! We usually pick which toys we want to use that day as a family, depending on the status of the water and waves and go from there. ie. if its a smooth, clear water day – we typically just bring the snorkels and paddle board. We tie out paddle board to the top of our golf cart to take it down but you can put it on your car or if you are close enough hopefully you can carry it or roll it down!
Sand Toys in a Mesh Bag– buckets, balls, shovels, frisbees and the 1000 other random sand toys all the beach stores offer. I just recommend having a variety. Our boys love to build sand castles and then bring smaller plastic action figures or dinosaurs to play on the sandcastle they just built. I highly recommend putting your sand toys in a separate bag from your towels and other items. This allows you to just hose out the entire bag when you get off the beach.
Baby pool – A small inflatable one! Fill it with water, and if your baby can sit up they can splash in here beside you in your chair. If not, take your chair down to the water with the baby so they can keep cool