Are you heading to the beach this summer with your kids? You’ve got packing to do. Read on for my packing list for a beach trip with kids so you don’t have to start from scratch!
I was unprepared for how much stuff you need when you have kids before I had my son five and a half years ago. Every time I left the house I felt like I needed to bring his whole room with me. But that was nothing compared to the sheer amount of stuff we needed when we went on vacation for the first time with him. We needed to bring the whole house with us!
Travel with kids just requires stuff, lots of stuff. And that’s especially true when you’re taking a beach trip with kids. You need clothes of course (and several outfits a day), but you also need beach stuff and food and stuff for your beach rental and and and. The list seems to be never-ending.
The prospect of packing for a beach trip with kids was daunting the first time I did it. I didn’t know what was non-negotiable and what we could live without. So today, I’m sharing my packing list for a beach trip with kids so you aren’t quite as daunted. I’ve done this a few times now and I feel confident that this is a great packing list for a beach trip with kids. I hope this list helps!
Things to Know
I travel with my two kids, who are 5 and 3 years old.
At the beach, we stay in a condo near my husband’s extended family. It’s in a resort community that has lots of amenities. Think tennis courts, pools, a splash pad, etc. The condo is approximately one mile from the actual beach. Of course, the condo comes equipped with a washer and dryer and basic kitchen items.
Although we will enjoy a meal or two out while on vacation, we eat most of our meals at the condo. Because this set up works for us at this stage of life, we have lots of food on our packing list for a beach trip with kids. If you are planning to eat most of your meals out, you won’t need nearly as much stuff in the food category.
We will have plenty of beach time, of course, but I’m not a sit on the beach for 8 hours a day for 7 days type of person. Because we will vary our activities on our beach trip, we will need stuff for these varied activities.
Packing List for a Beach Trip with Kids
Clothes
Of course you need to have clothes on your packing list for a beach trip with kids. Here’s what I pack for a week.
4-5 basic outfits
Like I said, we have a washer and dryer in the condo we rent, so we can wash and rewear. A basic outfit for us means a pair of shorts and a t-shirt or tank top, and this holds for both the kids and the grown-ups among us.
2-3 bathing suits
Multiple bathing suits might sound like overkill to you, but I highly recommend at least two bathing suits. No one likes to put on a wet bathing suit. It’s a major buzzkill.
Cover up
Shoes
Each member of the family will need at least a pair of sandals and a pair of sneakers. I also bring water shoes for the kids and boat shoes for the parents. It’s easy to forget to add socks to your packing list for a beach trip with kids, but they are a must-have!
Underwear
I am a chronic over-packer when it comes to underwear. You just never know when you’ll need an extra pair. Even though I only bring 4-5 basic outfits per person, I bring at least 7-8 pairs of underwear each.
Accessories
I am not an accessories girlie, but even if you’re an accessories minimalist, you still need to add some accessories to your packing list for a beach trip with kids.
Hat
Every single member of your family needs at least one hat. We like to bring two hats per person – one baseball cap and one beach hat (which is also a baseball cap for my husband, just one he doesn’t mind getting wet). We have and love the Ruffle Butts sun protective hat for the kids.
Sunglasses
Every single member of your family also needs at least one pair of sunglasses. Yes, even the kids. In fact, I like to bring multiple pairs of sunglasses for each kid. If you’re in the market for a pair of sunglasses for you, you really can’t beat these for the price.
Jewelry
Your mileage may vary here. I bring a watch, a pair or two of earrings, and maybe a necklace.
Beach bag
You can’t forget to add a beach bag to your packing list for a beach trip with kids. I have been loving my Simple Modern XL Getaway Bag for the pool, and can’t wait to try it out at the beach. This thing is huge! It holds all the snacks, all the toys, and all the towels.
Purse
You’ll need a bag for your non-beach activities too. Because my kids are still smaller, I like to bring a mom bag. My go-to mom bag lately is the Vera Bradley Small Banbury Backpack. It is exactly the right size for my essentials and my kids’ essentials.
Toiletries
What is any packing list without toiletries? A packing list for a beach trip with kids is no different.
Shower items
You’re going to be taking lots of showers on your beach vacation to get all the sand and sweat and sunscreen off your body. Make sure you’re bringing enough of your shower items to get you through at least one shower a day, maybe two. To save space in your bags, decant enough product into smaller bottles when you can.
Skincare
I’m someone who travels with all of my skincare, especially when I’m going to the beach. Make sure you choose lighter products that really promote skin health and sun protection that are perfect for summer. Again, decant your products into smaller bottles when you can to save precious luggage space.
Food
Food is usually the heaviest lift for my packing list for a beach trip with kids. We go through a lot of food in my house, especially when we are at the beach!
Snacks
Let’s start the food category of my packing list for a beach trip with kids off with the most important thing – snacks! When you go on a beach trip, you need all the snacks. You need car snacks, beach snacks, restaurant snacks, midnight snacks. Of course, it’s hard to bring perishable snacks with you, but stock up on the shelf-stable snacks and bring them with you. My favorite snack stops before a beach trip are Trader Joe’s and Aldi – don’t forget the freeze dried fruit or the trail mix!
Meal ingredients
Like I mentioned, we eat the vast majority of our meals on a beach trip at the condo. Before we leave, I go through and make a meal plan of easy vacation meals and make two grocery lists: non-perishable items that I can buy at home and bring with me and perishable items that I need to buy at the grocery store at the beach. Don’t forget to bring any spices you’ll need so you don’t have to buy all new bottles!
PB&J
I never go anywhere without emergency peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They have come in clutch countless times, so they are a trip essential. When I’m making a packing list for a beach trip with kids, I always start the food part of the list with peanut butter, jelly, and bread. Those items are non-negotiable and get my momentum going to finish my list.
Breakfast items
Anyone else love to eat bagels on vacation? Just me? I always bring a bunch of bagels and a few other non-perishable breakfast items with us when we head out on a beach vacation. Think dry cereal, maybe some oatmeal. Easy things to bring with you that will be helpful when you just need a quick breakfast.
Household items
For me, the household items are usually the things I am most likely to forget when I make a packing list for a beach trip with kids. If you’re like me, start here so you don’t forget!
Paper products
Paper products are must-haves! You need toilet paper, paper towels, and facial tissues. Bring more than you think you’ll need.
Soap
You will also need various types of soap. A small thing of dish soap, dishwasher pods, laundry detergent pods (and Oxiclean or another stain remover of your choice), and hand soap are items that are easy to forget but so crucial!
Knife
Most rental houses do not come equipped with a knife that is sharp enough to do anything. I always bring at least one sharp knife that I can use in lots of ways. For safety, slide it into some cardboard so you don’t accidentally stab yourself when packing or unpacking.
Storage
Rental houses also don’t have food storage items either. I always bring Ziploc bags of various sizes and Tupperware for leftovers with me.
Cleaning products
I don’t usually add a full retinue of cleaning products to my packing list for a beach trip with kids, but I do bring a few essentials. Clorox wipes and an all-purpose cleaning spray are definitely worth the car space.
Washcloths
Even if your rental comes equipped with linens (some do, some don’t so please check in advance!), I always bring washcloths from home. You want to make sure that you have nice washcloths to wash your faces.
Beach stuff
No packing list for a beach trip with kids is completely without the beach stuff!
Beach umbrella
I highly recommend a beach umbrella that has a sturdy, wooden pole. The plastic or aluminum umbrella don’t last and are apt to blow around in the breeze. They are expensive, but worth it.
Beach chairs
Every member of your family needs his or her own beach chair. I like the chairs that come higher off the ground for the grown-ups, especially as I get older.
Beach towels
I highly recommend that you bring two beach towels per person on a beach trip. It’s miserable to try to dry off with a damp towel, so save yourself the misery and just bring two per person.
Sunscreen
You’ll go through sunscreen at an alarming rate on a beach trip, so buy this in bulk ahead of time and bring it with you. I will always recommend the Blue Lizard mineral sunscreen. It’s the G.O.A.T.
Cooler
You need to add some sort of cooler to your packing list for a beach trip with kids. Whether it’s huge or small, you need a place to keep your water cold and your perishable snacks fresh. We usually bring our RTIC 30-can cooler.
Sand toys
Kids love to play in the sand, so make sure you’re bringing enough sand toys so they can go to town. Think shovels, buckets, sand molds, trucks, and sieves.
Other beach activities
My 5-year-old is obsessed with sports, and that won’t change at the beach. That means we need to bring balls of all kinds with us. Other beach games are also good to bring to keep everyone occupied. Think cornhole, ladder golf, or other games like that.
Kid stuff
Kids need stuff wherever they go. Don’t forget to add things to keep them occupied and happy to your packing list for a beach trip with kids.
Tablets & headphones
Tablets are essential for long car rides with kids. Seriously, throw the screen time guidelines out the window when you’re on vacation. And if you don’t want to hear your kids play educational games for hours on end, make sure you bring kid-sized headphones with volume control too.
Screen-free activities
My kids love their tablets when we travel, but they get tired of them and want to switch to screen-free activities too. Their favorite screen-free activities include stickers, books, and coloring books. You don’t have to buy a whole bunch of fancy things to keep them occupied!
Monitor
If your kids are young, you probably want to bring your monitor with you on your beach trip. This is especially true if they’re used to sleeping in a much different circumstance at home than they will have at the beach – sharing a room, sleeping in a bigger bed, etc.
Bathroom items
I have a 3-year-old, so I’m still in the little kid stage of life that means we need to make accommodations for her to use a bathroom that’s designed for adults. I add a portable, folding stool so she can reach the sink and a potty seat so she doesn’t fall in when using the toilet.
Mom stuff
Don’t forget to add your own essentials to your packing list for a beach trip with kids. Mom is on vacation too!
Phone & charger
Of course, your phone is probably attached to you at all times, so it’s unlikely that you’ll forget it. It’s a little easier to forget your charger, though, so write it down on your list to make sure you bring it with you!
Books
Is it a pipe dream that you’ll be able to actually read a book when you’re on a beach trip with your kids? Probably, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try. Bring at least one book or a kindle pre-loaded with a book you’re excited to read.
Headphones
It’s probably more likely that you can listen to an audiobook or a podcast while you’re sitting on the beach. Don’t forget your headphones so you can multitask.
Other posts
Looking for other vacation-related posts? I’ve got a few that you might find helpful:
Phew! That’s quite a list! I hope you’ve found this to be helpful as you make your packing list for a beach trip with kids. What did I miss? Let me know down below or over on Instagram @sarainseason!