Planning on making a trip to the beach soon? There are some essential items you MUST have with you! We’ve separated things out by what you need for babies, kids, and adults to make it easier for you to plan for your trip. Here is our list of 19 Must Haves for Your Next Beach Trip!
Babies
Beach Hat
These are SO much more valuable than using sunscreen on your baby, in my opinion. I used this for an eleven day Texas beach trip, and my baby never got a sunburn!
Swim Diapers
Don’t be those gross people who let their baby go in the water with a regular diaper on. It’s nasty. Swim diapers still allow baby to get wet, without all that giant diaper sag.
Baby Sunscreen
Baby sunscreen is typically safer for baby’s skin that adult sunscreen. Make sure you get a baby specific kind that has no fragrance or harmful chemicals to protect your baby’s skin from more than just the sun.
Mesh Ring Sling Carrier
Absolute life saver. These are a super easy baby carrier you can wear in the water! I’m talking ocean, pool, you name it. This was the best way for us to enjoy our beach trips, while keeping baby safe. She could even nap in the sling, without getting too warm. If you have a baby, you need this. It’s a definite on the list of 19 Must Haves for Your Next Beach Trip!
Pacifier Clip
It’s gonna happen. You will be at the beach, and that pacifier will go flying. The ocean will sweep it up in an instant, and the pacifier is gone forever. Then you will be in for a very long day at the beach with no binky. Save yourself from that and just use a pacifier clip at the beach. You’ll thank me later.
Rash Guard
This, in addition to the baby sunhat, is how I keep my baby from getting sunburned on our beach trips! The UV index is generally much higher at the beach than what you’re used to, so it’s best to make sure you keep baby’s skin covered, while still wearing water appropriate clothing.
Kids
Life Jacket
Even if your kid is an advanced swimmer, they NEED a life jacket at the beach. The ocean is unpredictable, even for adults, and a life jacket could literally save your child’s life. Make sure to get one that’s coast guard approved, just in case you decide to do any fun activities on the beach that require it.
Goggles
Goggles are a fun way for kids to get to experience the ocean in an up-close and personal way! They’re also great for kids who have sensitive eyes, as the salt water can be tough! These are a must have for us!
Baby Powder
Baby powder is a must have for anyone on the beach really. Sand sticks to EVERYTHING at the beach. And it doesn’t dry and just wipe off. It’s rough, and stays everywhere forever. Use baby powder to gently brush off the sand, and get rid of that stinky sea smell.
Kid’s Sunscreen
Like babies, kids need a diferent sunscreen than adults. Get a tear-free formula, just in case they sweat and it gets in their eyes. Make sure to get a water-proof brand like the one we linked to, otherwise the first time they’re in the water, all their protection will be rinsed off.
Catch & Release Sea Aquarium
This is our FAVORITE item on the list of 19 Must Haves for Your Next Beach Trip!!! We bought this on a whim at Marshall’s one year for $6 or $7, and it has survived many beach trips with us now! It’s an excellent way to be able to catch a little sea creature like a hermit crab and watch it crawl around in its natural habitat! It’s even got a handle for easy transport. GET ONE!
Radio Flyer Two Seater Wagon
This wagon has saved our lives a thousand times. I lied. THIS is my favorite thing on our list of 19 Must Haves for Your Next Beach Trip! The wheels on this wagon do GREAT in the sand. Many times we have taken late night beach walks, or long shell-searching walks and the kids tired out quickly. We can put both kids in the wagon, with several items we need, and smoothly pull them along the beach. And since it’s all plastic, we can just rinse all the sand off with the hose when we get home. The handle also folds easily underneath the wagon, to make fitting it in the family vehicle super easy. When we travel we just pack all our beach items in the wagon and put it in the car that way.
Sand Toys
Don’t forget these! We forgot these the first year, and had to buy some on the beach. They are PROUD of their beach toys at beach front stores and will make you pay an excessive amount for what you could have gotten at home for much cheaper. Be sure to get a bucket and a shovel too so shell collecting can be fun!
Rash Guard
Rash guards are also an excellent idea for kids too. Sunburns aren’t anything to play around with, and if you can cover that skin, do it. A lot of swim suits come paired with rash guards, so you can always get one that way too.
Adults
Ozark Trails Stainless Steel Cup
Even though you’re surrounded by water all day, it’s still important to hydrate. Keep your liquids cold all day, even if you leave the cup DIRECTLY in the sun with this double wall stainless steel cup! It’s awesome!
Beach Umbrella
One of the best vacation investments we EVER made was getting a giant beach umbrella. It has built-in UV protection, and it screws into the sand so it’s super sturdy. It’s an incredible way to keep some stuff out of the sun, or to give yourself a break from the heat.
Inner Tube
These are NOT just for rivers! Seriously, if you’ve never hopped onto an inner tube on the ocean, you don’t know what relaxing is! It’s a super chill activity, and it’s tons of fun!
Sunscreen
I don’t care how tan you already are, the UV index is typically much higher at the beach than in more northern areas. Protect your skin, and just wear some water-proof sunscreen.
Beach Towel
I know, it seems like a given, but this is a must have, and since it’s our list of 19 Must Haves for Your Next Beach Trip, we had to add it. The biggest way we used these was never for laying out, because kids, but we did use them to line the seats of our car to keep the seats from getting wet.
Mesh Bag
These are super helpful for putting beach treasures into, and really anything wet and sandy. Don’t ruin another bag by sticking wet, sandy items in it, but just get yourself a nice, sturdy mesh bag and use it instead.
What would you add to this list or 19 Must Haves for Your Next Beach Trip? Anything that you feel like is a must-have for your beach trips? Add them in the comments!
Before you head to the beach, read this too:
21 Best Beach Hacks
If you’re heading to Florida, you may want to read these too:
