Through years of beachgoing with the kids, we’ve finally dialed in our essential gear – a welcome change from the days of lugging a wagon overflowing with baby things. Now, it’s more of a ‘grab your own shovel’ situation!
Below is our tried-and-true beach gear checklist. And if you’re currently juggling babies and toddlers, hang in there! Lighter loads and less constant supervision are on the horizon! 🙂
I divided this list into several different sections– it starts with gear, then sun protection, colorful swimsuits for kids (of course!), and finally a few games!
Beach Gear
Beach Bag: Water-resistant canvas and a few elastic pockets + 1 zipper pocket. The inside is lined with a sandproof liner! Plus, pink and red stripes. She’s perfect.
Shibumi Shade: Now, these are expensive, but oh my gosh do they make or break a beach day. We have had ours for years and not a day at the beach goes by where someone doesn’t ask us where we got it. They are wind-powered, so it wouldn’t be great for a beach that’s not very windy!
Turkish Beach Towels: These fold up really small and are super absorbant– plus, lots of colors!
Cooler Backpack: I never have a beach day without a bottle of Stok iced coffee, so a cooler backpack is a must for me.
Goggles: These fabric strap googles are new to our beach bag this year, but we tested them out a few weeks ago at the pool and they were a hit. The strap makes them really comfortable and easy to put on. Tons of fun colors, too!
GoodR OG Sunglasses: These aren’t too expensive but are still polarized– and I think the wayfarer shape looks good on everyone. Lots of colors, of course, and it won’t make you too sad if they get scratched or sunscreened during the day.
Sun Protection
SuperGoop Play Sunscreen: I’m a big fan of the pump bottle– plus, the formula is just right. It’s not too thick or resistant when you’re trying to apply it.
SuperGoop Glow Screen: The perfect amount of radiance with a bit of tint, so it helps even your skin tone out, too. I use the Sunrise shade.
Trader Joe’s Daily Facial Sunscreen: Our kids call this the velvet sunscreen. We all love it!
Swimsuits
You know I can’t resist a colorful swumsuit for the kids! First are my boy picks but I also pulled a few girl options, too!
Boys swim shorts: Rainbow Wave | Gelato
Girls swimsuits: Rainbow Stripe | Gelato
Beach Games, Activities, Etc
These are top of mind for me right now– I will keep adding to this list as I think of more!
Goodminton: very easy racquet game!
Waboba Ball: I think my husband might love this more than anyone. This glove set looks really fun, too.
Boogie Board: We have two in the 33″ size for our 4 and 7 year old. They haven’t had any issues with rashes and the strap is padded.
Surfer Dude: Our kids love these! They are great for the beach because the surfers ride the waves back– but also fun in the pool.
