What to Pack for a Beach Day with Toddlers

Pre-kids, I thought going to the beach was the ultimate way to relax. I loved listening to the sound of the waves gently crashing in the background while I enjoyed the feeling of the sun on my face and the sand beneath my toes. Before kids, my biggest problem at the beach was forgetting to apply sunscreen.

Going to the beach with 3 kids ages 4 and under is a sharp contrast to those days. We live only a few miles away from the beach, so we go there quite often for free entertainment. No matter how prepared we are, though, it still feels like it takes hours to even get out the door with all the gear we need, and I consider hiring a sherpa to carry everything.

Then there's the matter of applying sunscreen to 3 squirmy children, carrying everything and everyone from the car, and keeping track of them all when we're there.

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During my three years of living in Florida, I've developed a few systems, tips, and tricks to actually enjoy the beach with my kids. Yes, it's still a lot more work than it was in my early 20s, but I love letting them explore the great outdoors, teaching them water safety, and the crazy good naps they take when we get back.

Here are my top things to pack to make your beach day with toddlers go as smoothly as possible.

SUN GEAR

As I mentioned, we live near the beach, which means we go quite often, especially in summer. I have learned to keep a small bucket in the car or near the door with all the kids' hats and sunglasses.

Sunscreen

We keep another small bucket filled with sunscreen and bug spray to grab on-the-go. I prefer more natural sunscreens like Block Island Organics, but to be really honest, sometimes the spray-on sunscreen is just easier, especially for reapplication. I keep both kinds in my kit! Here are some of my favorites you can quickly order from Amazon:

Rash Guards

We prefer kids' swimwear with rash guards for extra protection from the Florida sun. In fact, I’ve recently been wearing a rash guard, too, since I often go to the beach or take my kids on short trips by myself and have no one to sunscreen my back and shoulders for me. Check out some of my current favorite options:

ORGANIZATION AND SETUP FOR THE BEACH

Badger Gear Bottomless Backpacks

We have to climb down stairs to get to our beach, so to carry all of the gear like beach chairs, towels, sunscreen, and snacks we use Badger Gear Bottomless Backpacks. You can throw everything in the bag leaving your hands free to help the kids through the parking lot or along the side of the road, down the stairs, and through the sand.

I highly recommend the Badger Gear Bottomless Backpacks to anyone trying to manage young kids at the beach.

Wagon

If you go to a beach where you can just walk straight onto the sand, a wagon might be a good option for carrying everything. We have this wagon, and it could carry a cooler, towels, beach chairs or even the kids. We like to use this when we visit other beaches without stairs.

An Umbrella or Tent

If you're planning to be at the beach for awhile, it would be wise to bring some sort of shade to protect your toddler's skin. We have this beach tent which I've been using since our youngest was a baby. A year ago I was using it to nurse the baby and let him nap at the beach. Now it's a good home base for all of our things and a good spot for the kids to take a break, eat a snack, and rest for a bit.

Other options are a beach umbrella or a smaller pop-up tent like this one to keep your little one safe from the sun.

A Weighted Sand-Free Beach Blanket

I didn’t know what I was missing until I tried one of these. Instead of attempting to lay down a towel that keeps blowing away in the wind or weighing down the 4 corners with beach bags and shoes, we finally got one of these, and it is a GAME CHANGER. Now we just keep it in the trunk of our car for beach trips and impromptu park trips or picnics.

Sand brushes off easily and you don’t have to worry about it blowing away. I’ll never go back to just a towel, especially when going with kids. It’s the perfect place to keep important items safe from sand or to sit and enjoy a sand-free snack.

ESSENTIAL BEACH GEAR

Crocs

I get it. These aren't the world's cutest shoes. However, they're perfect for little kids at the beach. They are lightweight, easy to put on and take off, and you can rinse them off. It doesn't matter if they get wet or sandy.

Baby Powder

This is a little trick I learned from other moms. You can sprinkle baby powder on any sand stuck to your feet, legs, or hands and it makes the sand easier to brush off.

Vinegar

2 summers ago I got stung by a jellyfish while swimming in the ocean. Luckily, another family had a bottle of vinegar with them for just such occasions. Pouring vinegar on a jellyfish sting helps stop the stinging. I was so glad they had it! I was able to keep playing with my kids for a few hours afterward without too much discomfort.

Chances are if you're with a toddler, you won't be going out very far in the water, but you never know! You also want to be aware of jellyfish that have washed up on the shore - they can be tempting for little ones to touch, so vinegar could come in handy.

Snacks

We try to keep snacks somewhat on the healthy side and easy to grab on the go. Some of our favorites include apple slices, protein bars cut up in little pieces, applesauce pouches, dry cereal, and PB&J on whole wheat bread. If you'll be there for an entire day, definitely bring a cooler for water and anything you don't want melting or going bad in the heat.

Entertainment

No need to go crazy with toys and entertainment - the beach itself has plenty for your toddler to explore and discover. A shovel and pail are great, along with these inexpensive beach toys. Sometimes we'll also bring a body board, which is great for older toddlers for playing in the surf. I've even seen families bring small inflatable pools for younger toddlers to splash around in! It's really up to you how much equipment you feel like dragging with you, and also how "extra" you are.

Swim Diapers

We've done both the disposable swim diapers and the reusable swim diapers, and there are absolutely pros and cons to both. I think you just need to think about your situation and make the best decision for your family. The resuable diapers definitely hold more, especially in a dirty diaper situation, but are more of a pain to clean out. And make sure you have a backup diaper and wet bag with you!

The disposable diapers are much easier, but we all know they don't do much to keep things contained. And they're kind of expensive. Bear all that in mind, and do what works for you. We usually end up going with the disposable ones for simplicity's sake.

Shovel

Another friend of ours who is experienced with kids at the beach gave us a shovel when our youngest was born and told us to use it at the beach. We were confused at first, but then she explained that when her kids were little, she used to dig a large hole for them at the beach and let them play with sand toys to keep them contained and occupied.

We finally got a chance to try it this weekend and it worked like a charm! It bought us at least a half hour of relaxing beach time. (One of us supervised the baby and relaxed in a chair while the other played with the older 2 in the waves).

Attitude

So those are our must-have supplies when beachin' it with a toddler. It's not easy chasing a strong-willed child around the beach, getting sand out of their mouth and protecting them from crawling straight into an oncoming wave. However, it is so worthwhile to experience. I'll even say it's fun if you go in with the right attitude and low expectations.

So yeah. Be prepared, bring lots of sunscreen and water, and know that you won't be laying on a towel sipping wine out of a can and working on your tan. With your expectations in check, your beach day with your little monster should be a rousing success.

Did I miss any must-have supplies? Let me know in the comments below!