This summer break with my boys at home has really flown by. I’m not quite ready for all of the fun and lack of structure and schedules to end, so I’m holding on to these last few weeks with a tight hold grip. Fortunately, we have our annual trip to the beach coming up in 2.5 weeks to close out our summer together, and it has me all sorts of excited this year.

We are a beach-loving family and enjoy spending all of our days on the sand and in the water. While we enjoy venturing out in the evenings for good food and a little family fun, our days are spent almost solely with our feet in the sand.

Traveling with kids, especially during those younger years, can be hard. But over the years, we have acquired quite the collection of beach must-haves that have made those trips easier and more enjoyable.

While preparing for our upcoming beach vacation, I decided to make a list of the items that we just simply can not live without when traveling to the beach each year. Hope you enjoy!

15 Beach Must-Haves For Families

1. Beach Umbrella – A beach umbrella is an absolute must when going to the beach. Not only does it help in keeping you cool, it protects you from harmful UV rays.
2. Beach Chairs – When we are not building sandcastles, taking strolls down the beach or playing in the ocean water, we are relaxing under our umbrellas, sitting in our beach chairs. Beach chairs are an absolute must in my book.
3. Beach Bag – A large, easy to clean beach bag is a must when traveling to the beach. I love this one because of its many pockets and ease of organization. My children are always coming up to me, asking for something in our bag. This bag ensures everything has it’s place and can be located easily.
4. Sunscreen – Y’all, protect that skin. My mom is a nurse at a dermatologist office, and she can tell you some stories that will ensure you don’t forget your sunscreen. But aside from the long term affects of sun damage, the short-term is a sunburn that can keep you miserable for your entire vacation. Instead, be sure to lather up often and enjoy your week in its entirety.
5. Sun Hats – I love this hat for myself and am looking forward to wearing it on the beautiful gulf coast beaches in a few weeks. My husband typically wears a baseball cap to the beach; however, he is a redhead and burns easily. This year I decided to find him a hat that would give him a bit more protection while spending our many days out on the beach. I love the look of this hat, and so does he. Win-win. I am looking at buying something similar for my older boys, however, for my 6-year-old, I love this selection of kids’ summer hats offered by Sunday Afternoons. They offer so many great options.
6. Sunglasses – I love these sunglasses for kids by Shadez. They are hip and stylish and provide full UV protection for your kids. Total win in my book.
7. Cooler – A cooler will not only keep your beverages cold and ready to quench your thirst, but it is an excellent place for storing snacks too. Some snacks we pack every year are fresh fruit, string cheese, and baby carrots with hummus. Yum!
8. Snacks and Water – Speaking of yummy snacks, pack them. There is nothing worse than getting out to the beach only to find out that one of your crew is hungry. Keep everyone happy with snacks and drinks and enjoy your time on the beach. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate.
9. Camera Equipment – I am a hobbyist photographer, so my camera equipment makes its way to the beach often. Some of my favorite moments captured on camera are during our hours spent on the beach. Document those moments, y’all. But don’t forget to put everything away often and embrace the time you have together, uninterrupted. I look at my time out on the beach with my family as such a gift. The mental pictures are often just as important as the physical ones.
10. Baby Powder – Don’t forget to pack some baby powder. Sounds a little wacky but baby powder is a great way to eliminate pesky sand from hands and feet. Just sprinkle some onto the area where sand is present, and the sand will just dust off with the powder. How cool is that?
11. Beach Wagon – We don’t travel with a beach wagon, but I often wish we did. We have three growing boys who help haul everything from the condo to the beach and back again, but when they were smaller, this would have made a world of difference. Imagine mom and dad holding all the things and the babies too. It was a sight to see; I have no doubt. For those of you still in that realm, get you a wagon to hold all of the things so your hands are free for holding the babies.
12. Beach Toys – Sand buckets, sand shovels, and beach nets are my kids favorite toys to play with on the beach. My husband and I finally decided to give one of these a try last year for storing all of our beach toys, and I am so glad we did. Not only will this mesh bag hold a lot of toys, but it makes clean up so much easier too.
13. Kite – One of my favorite beach moments is watching while my boys fly kites with their dad out on the powdery white sandy beaches along the gulf coast. There is no doubt that the memories made during this often magical time will live forever in my children’s memory banks. And mine too.
14. Fan – On those hot summer days spent on the beach, pack a portable fan. This can make all of the difference and is worth every penny. 
15. Waterproof Phone Case – A waterproof phone case is great for protecting your phone from the sand but also from the water too. This is a must for anyone in your family who carries a phone out to the beach.

So there you go. My top 15 must-haves for ensuring your beach family vacation is a success. 

What are some of your favorite things when traveling to the beach? I’d love to know what you can’t live without. Maybe it will make its way into my arsenal of beach must-haves the next time we travel to the beach.

Holly Paul

Holly is a 42 year old wife and mom to 3 boys, from Nashville, Tennessee. She is a hot tea lover, book reader, journal keeper, Pinterest pinner, podcast listener, y’all sayer, self-taught graphic designer, hobbyist photographer, writer and dreamer of all things big and small. You can find all of her ramblings here at Blu Nest Bloom.