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21 Things You Should Pack For A Day At The Beach

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A Packing List for a Day at the Beach

Wondering what you should pack for a day at the beach? Here’s a list of 21 things to pack for an awesome day at the beach with your family and friends.

  1. Sunscreen
  2. Sunglasses
  3. Flip-flops
  4. Family Size Beach Blanket
  5. Beach Towels
  6. Beach Chair
  7. Bucket of Toys
  8. Beach Umbrella
  9. Hats
  10. Change of Clothes
  11. Water Bottles
  12. Snacks
  13. Waterproof Container for wallet, keys, and cell phone
  14. Sanitizing Wipes
  15. Baby Powder (to dust off the sand)
  16. First Aid Kit
  17. Sunscreen Lip Balm
  18. Bug Spray
  19. Extra cash and loose change
  20. Large Beach Tote
  21. A Great Book

Last year, we spent a few days of our Spring Break at the beach. The weather was beautiful and just right for some much-needed time of relaxation and family fun. While there, we gathered our lounge chairs and beach bag essentials, strapped extra chairs and buckets to the kids, and made our way across the hot sand to claim our spot by the shore.

Check out our First Time Kayaking Tips for Family Fun In The Sun

After setting up all our beach gear, we needed another vacation! And yet, we still managed to forget a few things!

Sound familiar?

Although a day at the beach is fun, lugging beach gear over the hot sand can be a hassle. Among all the beach chairs and buckets, it’s easy to forget a few of the bare essentials along the way.

For your next trip to the sandy shores, try to include these best beach items for your family fun in the sun. 

Beach Day Essentials List

Extra Large Waterproof Beach Tote– A large durable waterproof tote is perfect for a day at the beach. You want to find one that holds all those other beach day essentials and can easily be washed to get rid of the sand, too. 

 

Extra Large Oversized Sand Free Beach Blanket – Here’s a large beach blanket that keeps the sand away! It’s oversized with 6 stakes for anchoring and 4 corner pockets 

Large Beach Towel – An extra large beach towel is also a must-have beach item. Not only for drying everyone off after riding the waves, but also can serve as another great blanket for family fun in the sun. 

Sunglasses – When choosing a pair of sunglasses for a beach day, think inexpensive. Nothing’s worse than losing a pair of expensive sunglasses by a sudden wave overhead. There are plenty of fun trendy styles to choose from that aren’t that aren’t that expensive.

  
Sunscreen – When choosing a sunscreen for a day at the beach, make sure to choose one that is water resistant and will do the best job at protecting against those UVB rays.  Just remember to keep reapplying throughout your day and read the label to follow the instructions on just how often you should reapply.
 
There are all sorts of sunscreens these days and there is something to suit everyone’s needs. While my husband likes an easy spray on sun protectant, I prefer a lotion that isn’t greasy and one that doesn’t leave a white cast on my face. Check out a few of these best sellers below.

Sunscreen Lip Balm – A tube of sunscreen lip balm is something I tend to forget, so now I make sure to always include it in my boys’ Easter baskets to keep it handy.

Beach Chairs – Make sure Mom has a comfortable beach chair for reading her favorite book. 

Beach Umbrella – and don’t forget the umbrella or some sort of canopy to keep you out of the sun.

Sun Hats – From Dad to the baby, everyone needs to protect the heads while at the beach from the sun. Make sure everyone packs a hat with a wide brim for shading the face.

 
Snacks – For a family fun day at the beach, think snack size packages of crackers, pretzels, and fruit that doesn’t require refrigeration. There are all sorts of delicious ideas for this one, so have fun choosing your family’s favorites. 

Flip-Flops – Inexpensive flip-flops and sandals are the best beach items because they come in all sorts of fun styles and colors, protect your feet from the hot sand, and you don’t need to worry about investing lots of money, either.

Beach Toys– Don’t forget your bucket of toys for building sandcastles. A great beach bucket of toys makes a great gift for birthdays and Easter, too.

Here’s a bonus item! I think every family should have one of these outdoor utility wagons, too, to cart all those items from the beach and then back to the car. It just makes those family fun beach trips so much easier for Mom and Dad when everyone is trying to keep up with everything after a long hot day of fun in the sun.

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