Taking your child to the beach makes for wonderful memories, but it can take a few trips to get a groove of how to properly prepare for a beach day with little ones. In this post, we’re sharing beach essentials for babies and toddlers that Kayla has personally used for her mini adventurer.
These are must have items that will make taking your little one to the beach an absolute breeze.
If you travel with your children often, you may like our list of 15 Must Haves For Traveling With Children Under 3!
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A Good Source of Shade
It’s nice to have some fun in the sun, but you don’t want your little ones to get too much sun! We strongly recommend bringing a good source of shade with you so you can have extended time at the beach without sunburn being a cause for concern.
After too many trips to the beach where Kayla’s husband complained about how frustrating it was to setup popup tents and umbrellas, Kayla gifted him a Shibumi Shade for Father’s Day. They first used it on a trip to Cape San Blas, Florida and have continued to use it for every beach trip since. It has been a complete game changer!
The Shibumi Shade is compact and easy to carry. Not only is it extremely easy to setup, it can be setup in THREE minutes. We love that the shade canopy is made from 40% recycled plastic bottles and that it offers UPF 50+ sun protection.
The Shibumi shade currently comes in 2 sizes – a smaller one suitable for 2 people and a larger one big enough for 3-6 people. We recommend splurging on the larger one. It’s still incredibly compact when folded up, but will give your little one plenty of space to play while leaving room for you to relax in the shade as well.
Baby Beach Pool
You may be wondering, Why do you need a pool at the beach? So you can get some rest and relaxation while your baby plays!
You can’t sit in a beach chair and let your little one go play in the ocean by themselves. But you can setup a little beach pool and let them play beside you in the water. This might sound complicated, but it’s actually incredibly easy.
Buy a Monobeach Baby Tent Pool. Dig a little well in the sand at your beach campout spot. Place the baby tent pool on top of the well, and then fill the bottom of the pool with water. Your baby now has a safe shaded place to play in the water right at your side!
We like that the Monobeach baby tent pool gets adequate air flow so it does not get hot inside. It folds up flat for convenient carrying and storage when you leave the beach, and it comes with a carrying bag!
Beach Toys
You can’t take a kid to the beach without some fun beach toys to play with! We love this set that comes with molds to make sandy ice cream cones and this one where you can dig for dinosaur bones.
Toddlers (and adults!) may enjoy a velcro toss and catch game or this netted catch and toss game where the nets look like shark mouths. This is also a fun age to fly a kite for the first time!
You can also never go wrong with a simple inflatable beach ball. Babies can practice their coordination by rolling it back and forth in the sand and toddlers can practice throwing and catching it. Another great activity for all aged children are bubble wands!
Beach toys also make for fantastic small travel themed gifts for children if you need ideas for Easter baskets or birthdays!
Sun Protective Swimwear
Children’s skin is especially sensitive. Protect it from harmful UV rays with long sleeve swimwear and a sun hat.
Kayla usually rotates a long sleeve swimsuit every couple of days for her daughter when they’re on a beach trip so she does not get too much sun exposure. Her daughter LOVES wearing hats, so thankfully she doesn’t put up a fuss over wearing her sun hat.
If your child gets sunburned when at the beach, it’s always good to have a sun hat and long sleeve swimwear on hand for them to wear the rest of the trip.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is one of the top beach essentials for babies and toddlers. We like the Babyganics brand, because it’s pediatrician and dermatologist tested and is made without parabens, phthalates, PABA, fragrance or nanoparticles.
The Babyganics sunscreen goes on white so you can easily identify if you’ve missed a spot, but it rubs in quickly.
Whatever brand you choose to use though, make sure that you apply generously throughout the day! Kayla likes to do the first round of sunscreen for her toddler before they go down to the beach. This way it has time to work its way into her daughter’s skin and create the needed protective barrier from the sun. It also means that her daughter gets to start enjoying the beach as soon her feet hit the sand!
Swim Diapers + Large Ziploc Bag
If your little one isn’t potty trained yet, swim diapers are a must. You don’t want to make it all the way to the beach only to get there and realize your child has pooped in their swimsuit.
You’ll definitely want swim diapers if your accommodations have a swimming pool. You don’t want your family to be the reason the pool closes down for cleaning!
Swim diapers are great because they don’t swell in the water like a normal diaper would. They fit like a pull-up, but the sides easily tear for quick and easy removal.
We also recommend bringing a gallon size Ziploc bag to dispose of any dirty swim diapers you accrue during your beach day. That way you aren’t having to carry around any loose dirty diapers on your way back to your accommodation at the end of the day. The ziploc ones are great too because they will contain smells (as opposed to just a grocery sack).
Turkish Beach Towel
Turkish Beach Towels are fantastic because they dry incredibly quickly and you can effortlessly shake the sand off. This means your towels won’t way 50 lbs as you carry them back to your accommodations and you won’t be unwittingly transporting any extra sand back with you either. No one wants to have to sweep after a fun day at the beach!
These can also be used throughout the warmer months even when you’re not at the beach. If you go swimming at the pool when you get back home, these make great pool towels. They can also double as a stroller cover and provide extra shade for any trips where you’ll be strolling around in the sun a lot – like a trip to Disney or Peppa Pig Theme Park in Florida.
Cooler With Snacks and Drinks
It’s important that your little ones stay hydrated while they’re at the beach! Pack a cooler with water and juices so that they (and you) can enjoy a nice cold drink during your beach day. We like soft sided coolers because they’re lightweight and have pockets for lots of snacks!
Don’t bother with the ice packs though. Just freeze your water bottles the night before. They will act as makeshift ice packs and by the time your ready for one, it should be melted enough to drink – and ice cold!
Uncrustables and applesauce pouches make for easy and filling beach snacks. They can also be slipped into the cooler along with any other snacks you bring along. If you want to make your own uncrustables or other sandwhich styles, you can get fun shaped sandwich cutters that even seal the edges!
Beach Chair
Toddlers like to be just like their parents. So why not get them a little beach chair so they can match you? It isn’t really a necessity, but it’s a small way your toddler can feel like a big kid.
You can get a nice reclining chair, but they’ll probably like a camping style chair even more and they come in lots of fun themes. If you get one with a cup holder, that also means your child will have a place to put their drink and it hopefully won’t get covered in sand!
They even make baby beach chairs! There are universal styles like the hiccapop Travel Booster Seat which comes with a tray and can be used anywhere indoors or outdoors. There are also ones that come with a little canopy. The Baby Delight Go With Me Venture Portable Chair is a great investment for parents, because they can start using it as a baby and keep using it until they’re around 8 years old!
Collapsible Wagon
You may be wondering how on earth you’ll get all these things and your child to the beach without having to make multiple trips. A collapsible wagon is a fantastic solution!
The wagons made for the beach typically have wider tires that provide good traction for rolling on the sand. They are usually more expensive but also more durable than the standard collapsible wagons.
You can get a standard collapsible wagon like the one pictured above. Just keep in mind that while it’ll do fantastic rolling on paved surfaces, the wheels may not be able to cope on the sand.
We love that collapsible wagons are great for non-beach activities too. We’ve used them to tote blankets and snacks to outdoor community movie nights and for transporting large amounts of groceries into the house!
What are some beach essentials for babies and toddlers that you swear by? Let us know in the comments below!
Such great suggestions! The beach wagon has been our newest favorite item! Can’t believe we did beach days without one.
A baby beach pool – I didn’t even know that was a thing! Very cool.
This was a super helpful guide and I love the tip about having a baby beach pool. I never thought about getting this. Thanks!