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Going to the beach with kids this summer? Here’s 20 essential beach gear items to take for a fun & relaxing beach trip for everyone!
GOING TO THE BEACH?
Yay! A beach trip is in your near future! We’ve spent our fair share of time at the beach. We’ve been to the beach in Cancun, Kauia, Maui, and lived on the Sunshine Coast in Australia with our children, so we know how to do the beach with kids!
If you want to have a FUN and hopefully somewhat relaxing time on your beach trip with kids, BE PREPARED!
GET YOUR FREE BEACH PACKING LIST HERE!
The more prepared you are for a beach trip, the more successful it will be. And by successful, I mean: more relaxing and more fun.
THE BEST BEACH GEAR YOU’LL WANT TO HAVE WITH YOU
You may be thinking, “Can’t I just show up with my kids, some towels, and our swimming suits?” Sure you can!
But I promise you, the more prepared you are for your beach trip, the better time everyone will have!
So packing some essential beach gear items will make sure you can sit back, relax, and stay a while!
Don’t be overwhelmed with this list of “stuff”. These are our tried-and-true favorites that always come on a beach trip with us! We’ve found when we have these beach gear items, we have a more fun and enjoyable time.
BEACH GEAR & SAFETY
- Beach Umbrella to keep the shade away. Everyone will need a break from the sun at some point!
- Large beach blanket to keep the sand away. This one is our favorite since the sand shakes right off and dries quickly. Plus, it is so compact and travels super light.
- Beach towels
- Puddle Jumpers or life vests to keep your little ones super safe!
- Large beach bag with zippers to keep your valuables hidden.
- Collapsable Wagon or stroller to help you carry everything
- Sun hats
- Sunscreen (our favorite is SunBum-it smells amazing and works amazing!)
- Swimsuits, flip-flops, and cover-ups
- Sunglasses
- Something for babies to sleep in or sit in like a Bumbo or beach tent. We traveled to Chile with this portable beach crib one and it’s great as a portable bed, too!
FOOD & DRINK
- Drinking water- and lots of it! Tip: freeze water bottles before you leave and they will stay cold all day long! We’ve also taken our Thermoflask water bottles that keep water cold for days!
- Cooler or insulated cooler bag to keep your food cold and fresh
- Snacks and food. No matter how long or short you’ll be there, everyone will get hungry. Pack plenty of snacks and lunch or bring money to buy lunch if there are eating options around.
- Paper plates and plastic utensils for eating
- Hand sanitizer
- Wipes- to wash hands, bums, and everything in between.
- Garbage sacks to throw garbage and dirty/wet clothes in before you leave
BEACH ACTIVITIES
- Body board to ride all those waves
- Frisbee or our favorite: Bocce
- Sand toys including shovels, buckets, dump trucks
- Waterproof Camera to capture all those fun memories of your children!
- Slammo beach game
- Card games
- Beach tennis
- Book or magazines
GET YOUR FREE BEACH PACKING LIST HERE!
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER TRAVEL GUIDES WITH KIDS IN MIND:
- 6 Must-See Stops in Redwood National Park
- 11 Free or Cheap Oregon Coast Stops
- How to Survive New York City With Kids
