
Taking a vacation to the beach with kids can be quite an event! There is so much to pack and you are guaranteed to forget something important at least the first time around. Most of the time, you can make do with very little, but sometimes in the moment, you find that some certain thing could have been very useful to have. I have created a list of items that have been most helpful for my family on our beach vacations. Most of these are exact items that I have purchased in years before, and others, I will be purcahsing for our beach trip this year. I have provided the full list of items and where to find them below!
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Beach Table
A small beach table like this is great for eating snacks, or setting drinks on when you need a sturdier surface to set things down. I like how sand brushes right off, and how it folds up for easy storage.

Beach Blanket
This waterproof beach blanket is great for sectioning off a sand free zone, especially when you have babies and small children. Sand slides right off, preventing that much more sand from getting into your bags.

Baby Tent
This pop up beach tent is great for providing baby with shade and their own play area. You can dig a hole on the beach and place this tent right on top. Fill the center of the tent with bottled water for a salt free splash pool.

Sand Toys
I bought these sand toys for our last beach vacation, and I love the items in this set. The quality of these toys is so good and the colors are so pretty. One of my favorite features about this set is that they come in a mesh bag that allows the extra sand to fall through the holes while walking back up the beach.

Sunglasses
These baby sunglasses are my most favorite sunglasses for little ones! They provide protection for your baby’s eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. I really like the comfortable strap that keep the sunglasses from falling off or getting lost. My daughter has loved these! Even as an infant, she had no problem wearing them.

Fruit Feeders
These fruit feeders are great for at home, but even better for the beach! When my daughter was younger, I would put frozen cubes of homemade baby food and frozen fruits in these for her to teeth on. They were a great cold treat for her to have on the beach. They are kind of like a popsicle!

Pop up Tent
A pop up tent is great for providing shade for the whole family. It is especially useful when you have a baby, because it also sets a boundary for nearby beach walkers, preventing sand from getting kicked up into your little one’s face.

Beach Wagon
We were given a wagon similar to this one by my husband’s parents a few years ago, and I may never go to the beach without one now. After a long day spent on the beach, your little helpers will most likely be too worn out to carry their toys and shoes back up, and you will be glad to not have to lug everyone’s bags on your shoulders.

Mesh Bag
A mesh bag is so useful to have at the beach! For me, it was nice to be able to see what was in the bag without having to dig my hand around, or having to take everything out just to find one small item. It is also great to not have to worry about bringing so much sand back to the room, because I could just shake my bag around a little to let all of the loose sand fall back onto the beach.

Beach Chairs
Having a place for you and your little ones to sit is very important. No one wants sand in their pants! Though a towel will work great, chairs like these are great for little ones and adults! We have taken chairs for adults and separate small children’s chairs before, but I’m considering buying these low sitting chairs that both children and adults can easily sit in comfortably on the beach.

Portable Mini Fan
This fan was so helpful to us when we took our daughter to the beach at 7 months old, 2 years ago. We would charge it up at night, and it would be ready to use all the next day. This fan was so great to have, especially when my daughter would fall asleep in my lap on the beach, I would use it to help keep us cool. My son wanted to use it every time we got back in the car after a hot day on the beach. I’m going to purchase a second to have one for each kid this year!

Stainless Steel Thermos
My kids love their stainless steel thermoses! This is the one that we have in different colors. A thermos is great to have to keep drinks super cold, and this specific design will keep sand off of the lid of the cup. No sandy drinks here!

Snack/ Lunch Container
This bentgo lunch box is perfect for packing up a beach lunch. This bento box will keep your kid’s snacks cool, sand free, and safe from getting smushed In the cooler.

Sun Block
Some sunblocks can actually be quite harmful. My kids both have different sensitivities to certain sunblocks, and I don’t really like to use sprays. This is a brand that we use and really like. I know that there are far better ones out there, so send me your clean favorites!

Coppertone Pure and Simple Sunblock
Chapstick with SPF
Most people know (or should know) how important it is to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays, but you should also be protecting your lips! I buy us each our own SunBum chapstick each summer, all in different colors so that we know whose is whose. My kids love having their own chapsticks, and I have no problem getting them to use this while at the beach.

Water Shoes
Water shoes are great for kids that don’t like the feeling of the ocean floor on their feet. They also protect kids feet from toe stubs and scrapes around the pool area.

Hooded Towel
Hooded towels are both fun and helpful! Kids are more likely to keep up with and hold onto their towel if it is hooded, especially if it is a full body towel on both sides, preventing it from slipping and sliding off while walking back to your car or room.

Hat
Sun hats are very helpful in keeping the sun from beating down on your little ones face, and preventing sunburnt scalps. They are a great second layer of protection to keep little heads and ears safe from harmful sun rays.

Disposable Bags
Disposable diaper bags like these come in handy even if you dont have an infant with dirty diapers. These are useful for holding wet bathing suits while traveling back to a room in a car. They are also useful for bagging up extra sandy things, or collecting shells.

Beach Games
This velcro ball catch game is both fun and compact! It is great for kids that are easily bored after spending just 15 minutes on the beach.

Floating Device
It is important to have the correct floating device for each age and weight to insure the appropriate level of safety. Here are 3 great floating devices for different age levels!

Baby Pool Float 9-24 M

Swim Vest With Floaties 2-6 yrs

Kids Swim Vest Sizes for 3-8 yrs
Waterproof Phone Case
This item is not exactly for kids, but it is something that I have needed many many times, and I definitely see it being a favorite for this year’s beach trip. A waterproof phone case is great for keeping water, sand, and sunscreen out of your phone while spending a day on the beach or by the pool!

There you have it!
These are my most favorite beach items for kids. There are many more items that are very useful to have at the beach, but these are some that I have purchased and loved the most or plan to buy this year.
Let me know what your beach must haves for kids are, and why you love them!
– Courtney
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