Must Have Items for the Beach with a Baby or Toddler
Traveling to the beach with a baby or toddler is hard. It just is. They eat the sand. They can’t swim independently. Their skin is so delicate and yet they HATE sunscreen being applied. They still need naps and yet if they’re anything like my kids- the beach is the LAST place they’re willing to nap. And it seems like it takes more time to get them ready for the beach than you actually spend at the beach.
And yet- the beach with a baby or toddler is also magical. The first time they feel sand on their feet. When they first hear the waves crashing or see a seagull skittering across the water. The first time a wave splashes at their ankles and they giggle.
So yes, the beach is hard. But with some preparation and a few key items, it can also be a great time for everyone.
We’ve been to the beach several times with our daughters. Despite not being beach people before we had kids, the beach has become one of our favorite places to be as a family. Our first trip was when my oldest daughter was about 18 months old and we’ve gone every year since. We introduced our second daughter to the beach at around 10 months old.
So we’ve experienced beach trips as a family with a young toddler, a young preschooler, and now a preschooler and a baby together and all of it has been so rewarding. Along the way, we’ve found some items that we won’t leave behind on any future beach trips (and one that probably won’t be making a reappearance).
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What we’ll always bring to the beach for a baby or toddler:
1. This Beach Bag:
Remember when you were young and all you brought to the beach was a towel, a book, and MAYBE sunscreen if you remembered it? Welp- that’s over (at least for now). Allow me to introduce you to your new best friend- this beach bag.
It’s large enough to fit what you need without it being aggressively oversized. It has the room you need to fit in several towels. There’s pockets for the necessities like sunscreen, more sunscreen, baby sunglasses, sun hats, water bottles, and yes, more sunscreen.
The mesh allows for sand to easily shake out instead of settling to the bottom. And my favorite part is that it has an interior zip-up pocket. While I’ve not tested how water resistant this pocket is, it’s still where I put my phone, wedding rings, and any shells that my daughter wants to keep.
(This particular bag has also doubled as my adventure bag that lives in the car- more info how we use our adventure bag to come shortly.
2. These Sun Hats:
Baby skin is so delicate, and my youngest is terrible at leaving anything on her head. She immediately rips off her sunglasses and either tries to eat them or throw them into the ocean.
My criterion list for a good sunhat was LONG: I wanted sun hats that would stay put, be ok getting wet, be breathable, and protect not only their faces, but the backs of their necks as well. Lastly, I wanted hats that would grow with them.
These two hats honestly check all of those boxes.
For the baby, we use this hat: https://amzn.to/4gwaa6j
We bought it for our first daughter and it fit her at around the time she was six months old. It grew with her until she was about two years old and is now loved by my second daughter.
And friends, let me tell you, IT HAS HELD UP. It’s held up through beach trips, pool trips, picnics, hikes, etc. It’s held up through being tossed in a beach bag, an adventure bag, and the bottom of a stroller for “just in case moments.”
We’re on kid number two of using it, and if we ever have a third daughter, I’m confident that it will still be in good shape for them.
The tie on the top of the hat allows for you to adjust the size as your baby grows. The tie underneath the chin helps it stay on. (We honestly didn’t have to use the tie much with my first born- but that second child- woah. There is something different about that second child’s energy!)
I love the little bill that goes over their forehead to protect their little faces and their eyes, and I love the flap on the backs of their necks for extra protection there. Lastly, I love how quickly it dries. This is not something we’re waiting on for long periods of time to dry off. Even if you completely submerge it in water, it’s dry and ready to toss back in a bag pretty much as soon as you’ve finally shaken the sand out of your sandals.
For my preschooler, we use THIS sunhat: https://amzn.to/4g2NV82
I love it, It’s sturdy enough to last. The band also adjusts for their growth, there’s a chin strap, and the width of the brim protects their faces as well as their necks. It’s quick to dry, breathable, and hasn’t faded. We’re looking forward to getting even more use out of it. I honestly can’t recommend these two hats enough.
3. TOOB Ocean Animals:
We got our oldest daughter a set of TOOB animals for our first trip to the beach when she was about 18 months old. I thought they were adorable, so I bought a couple of different sets. My husband, gently reminded me that “she’s a baby” and may not even play with them, and I decided to only pack one set with us (even though they’re small!) because I already felt like we were overpacking.
Welp- she loved them so much that we found ourselves at a craft store near the beach buying additional sets. She poured them from one container to another. She sorted them. She made different sounds with them.
The next year she played “storm” with them. The year after that she set them up around the condo and gave them all cozy places to stay. At home we use them for a lot of learning activities. (I’ll have a post soon with different ideas for how to use Toob figurines into fun learning activities at home.) They are some of our most played with toys at home and we’ll be bringing them with us to the beach for extra fun for years.
There’s several sets that you can buy, but our daughter’s favorite is probably the baby sea life set.
And if you’re looking for ideas on how to use the Toob sea animal figurines for more learning activities, check out my post here on “Ocean Themed Learning Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers.”
Items that make the beach extra comfortable for babies and toddlers- but Aren’t entirely necessary
4. A Drying Rack
This isn’t entirely necessary, but did make our most recent trip a lot more comfortable. Our first trip I just thought that I would hang up our swim suits in the bathroom to dry. But then it was time to get back in the water, and our clothes were still damp. Putting a cold, damp swim suit on a wriggly baby or toddler is not my idea of a fun time.
So this year I remembered to bring our drying rack and it was a game changer. Clothes could dry outside and everything was ready for a second (or third!) trip back to the water after coming in for a meal. No fussing- no cold, damp, and clingy swimsuits.
While it’s a kind of bulky item to pack, it’s definitely worth it to me.
5. A Good Cooler
If you’re hoping to stay on the beach for a longer duration during the day, having snacks and drinks are a must. It’s even better if you can offer your little one a cool snack or drink to help them avoid getting overheated. In our cooler for trips like this we fill it with carrot sticks, cut up grapes, apple slices, etc.
For the baby, we make sure we have things they can easily eat like watermelon strips. I also like to toss in a couple of cooling rags if it’s really hot to put on the baby’s neck or let her hold.
If you’re not staying long on the beach, this really isn’t necessary. But if you have an older kid that’s just having too much fun to come inside, a cooler can make it easier on everyone- especially your littlest ones.
6. A Wagon
Ok- we love our stroller wagon and we will keep bringing it with us to the beach. But to be totally honest, the one we have didn’t do great on sand. At all. (It’s literally the only drawback to this particular wagon so far.) But we still used it for the kids to ride in when it was a long walk from where we were staying to get to the beach. Also, the clip on basket was great for carrying any beach toys they had.
I know there are stroller wagons out there that do better on sand, but they just weren’t in our budget- and that’s totally fine.
7. Spray-on Sunscreen.
Before we leave for the beach, I slather up my kids in sunscreen. However, once we’re there, I still want to reapply it every so often to keep them from getting crispy. It’s no fun to make a toddler stand there long enough for you to do traditional sunscreen again when the ocean is beckoning to them. So I toss in a bottle of spray-on sunscreen help make it faster when it’s time to reapply.
one item we won’t bring again to the beach for a baby or toddler- and what we’d do instead
A Beach Tent
This one hurts to admit! I found the cutest beach tent for really cheap on Amazon for our last trip. To be honest, I was mostly in love with the price and the color, but I still thought it would be a great place to put the baby. I was picturing her staying in the tent and out of the sun while it still having good airflow for her.
And while it wasn’t terrible, she still ended up crawling out of the tent pretty immediately to get to her sister. The airflow wasn’t as much as I was hoping for . It also took way longer to assemble than I had thought.
Next time, I want to try a really easy beach umbrella to give the shade I’m hoping for.
I know the beach with a baby or a toddler can be hard. But hopefully with a few key items, it can also be a fantastic experience for your family!
And if you are looking for more learning activities we use related to the beach, check these posts here:
Additionally, packing lists will also be coming soon.
Lastly, if you’re wondering why we travel at all when our kids are this young, check out my post here.
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