Parenting

Heading to the Beach? Don't Leave Home Without These Family Essentials.

by Maria Tallarico
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
B. Ready Baby Beach Essentials

Traveling to the beach with a baby or toddler (or maybe both) in tow can feel a little overwhelming because of the sheer volume of stuff to schlep. A bathing suit is really just the beginning of the journey of a day at the beach; there’s a long list of essentials to keep track of, like sunscreen, pop-up tents, toys for the sandcastle competition and reusable swim diapers. (We haven’t even gotten to snack time yet.)

Tackle it like a trip-within-a-trip and focus on beach essentials that will keep kids shaded and SPF’d, entertained and hydrated, and comfortable enough to chill out for an afternoon nap, exhausted by all of the activities. (There may even be enough precious downtime to listen to a podcast or crack open a frothy beach read.)

You’ve got the reef-safe SPF, the protective hat, the reusable swim diaper, the napping tent, the BPA-free snack tray and everything one might need under the sun…beach days have certainly changed since the ’80s. If all of the packingand planning doesn’t feel very relaxing, check out this guide on how to survive the beach day with kids and accept that the outing might not be perfect, but it will be all yours. (And if all else fails, these rose margaritas are fit for a grown-up sippy cup.)

Now that you’ve got your beach day baby essentials all packed up, be sure to check out other baby gear stories.

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