Family Packing, Journey with Kids

How to Pack for the Beach with Toddlers

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As a Florida family, we love a good beach day! When you’re packing with littles, it’s all about balance. Make sure you have what you need, without making your bag too heavy to carry across the sand. This packing list covers all the essentials we bring to the beach with toddlers.

Essentials for the Beach with Toddlers

  • Sunscreen: We’ve loved Badger sunscreen* for the kids, at least SPF 30 and sometimes SPF 40. Tip? Long sleeve swimshirts with UPF can help reduce the amount of sunscreen you’re applying! Our favorites are the ones from Primary and Tea Collection.
  • Hats & Sunglasses: This one is totally child dependent. My son will wear a hat all day, but my daughter usually needs to be convinced. Our favorite baseball caps* are a great inexpensive find (in nearly every color!) that fit even the 2-year-old’s head.
2-year-old playing with Hape beach toys while wearing a blue baseball cap.
Playing in the sand at the beach while wearing our favorite baseball caps!
  • Snacks: Everyone gets hungry out in the sun. Don’t forget to pack snacks for you, too!
  • Water: Everyone has their own water in a Yeti Rambler – either the Yeti Rambler 12 oz* for the kids or the Yeti Rambler 18 oz* for the adults!
  • Wipes & Swim Diapers: If not yet potty trained (or recently!), I always bring 1-2 extra swim diapers* and a pack of wipes. Just in case.
  • Towels: Hands-down, my favorite towels – these Turkish towels.* They fold down much smaller than a traditional towel, are extremely soft, and the sand shakes off easily!
  • Beach Toys: On even the simplest beach trip, we bring our Hape beach toys.* We love that they come in a mesh backpack – the sand shakes out easily AND our littles can carry it down to the beach themselves!
3- and 1-year-old playing in shallow water at the beach with Hape beach toys.
Overhead shot of toddler playing with the Hape beach toys with the mesh backpack at his feet.
The Hape beach toys over the years – have held up beautifully and are so fun!
  • Beach Bag: You’ll need something to carry everything in. My sister recently gave me a Bogg Bag,* and I finally get the hype! It was easy to pack AND the sand wiped right out!
  • Change of Clothes: To keep everything clean, I pack everyone a change of clothes in a wetbag (and leave this bag in the car!). These bags are magical – truly don’t leak and wash easily in the washing machine (hang dry).
  • Beach Chairs (optional): Pick a beach chair that can be worn as a backpack! It frees up your hands for more important things.

Packing for a Shorter Beach Trip

If you’re packing for just a few hours at the beach, here are a few changes I make:

  • Snack goes in a small soft-sided cooler. No giant cooler needed! I actually love my little Sarah Wells cooler* from the days of bottles, since it’s the perfect size for a few Stasher bags with fresh berries, applesauce pouches, or a few cheesesticks.
  • Small chair umbrella only. No big tent or cumbersome, full-size umbrella.
  • Limit beach toys. For us, this means only what can fit in the Hape backpack.
  • Pack in one bag. Everything goes into one, larger beach bag.
Bogg bag all packed, sitting in the sand at the beach with dunes behind it.

Staying Longer at the Beach?

For a longer day at the beach with toddlers, you’ll simply expand from the essentials above! It might look like this:

  • Larger cooler for lunch. Be sure to prep sandwiches and other snacks in smaller amounts, so that it’s easier to pass out to little hands. You might also want to pack additional fruit to help boost liquid intake, as well as extra water!
  • Consider a nap plan. If you’re staying through nap time, you’ll want to plan for it! An extra clean blanket to lay in the sand or a soft baby carrier (like a Wildbird ring sling)* can help.
4-month-old sleeping on the beach under a beach tent and on a green blanket.
3-month-old napping on mother while wrapped in a Wildbird Ring sling.
Our daughter napping on a blanket while under a tent (left), and our son in the Wildbird ring sling for his first beach nap (right).
  • Beach tent to help limit sun exposure. In addition to reapplying sunscreen, remember to have everyone under the tent for periods of time.
  • More beach toys! We add in some of our other favorite Hape sand toys* and a game or two (like this one by B. toys!).*
  • Bring portable fans. Lots of days at the beach are beautiful and breezy. But if you’re unlucky, it can be humid, hot, and no chance of a breeze. We’ve used these portable fans* everywhere from the beach to Disney World, and they’re great to attach to a chair if you’re naptrapped.

Beach with Toddlers? Pack the Essentials.

While there are many great products for the beach, remembering the essentials is key. I’ve found that choosing the right handful of items can make our beach day fun, without overcomplicating it. Pack with your family in mind, and enjoy the sun and sand together!

Posted In: Family Packing, Journey with Kids

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