The Best Beach Packing List For Babies and Toddlers: 25 Essentials

Last Updated on February 3, 2026 by Audrey

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Heading to the beach with a baby or toddler? Being properly prepared for a day by the shore can help make your time much more enjoyable, and my beach packing list for babies and toddlers is the perfect resource! Tackling the beach with littles might seem overwhelming at first, but the amount of fun and new family memories that will be made makes it totally worth it!

I’ve been toting my three kids to the beach through all stages of their life, including baby and toddlerhood, so I finally feel like I have a pretty good system worked out. Now, I’m sharing my tried-and-true packing system to help make your family beach outings smooth. This beach packing list for babies and toddlers will help you organize everything you need to make your trip safe, comfortable, and enjoyable.

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1. Swimsuit (plus an extra)

We’ll kick off our beach packing list for babies and toddlers with swimsuits! One of the most important considerations when choosing a swimsuit for littles (besides how adorable they’ll look in it) is ease of diaper changes. Look for bathing suits that have snaps at the bottom, which allow for quick and easy diaper access without the need to remove the entire suit or go with a two-piece.

Other key factors are sun protection and comfort. Consider choosing a long-sleeve rash guard as part of your baby or toddler’s swimwear. Rash guards not only provide excellent coverage against harmful UV rays, but they also help keep little ones warm if the water or wind is chilly. Here are some of my favorite swimsuit picks!

Pro-tip: Bring an extra suit, because blow-outs and accidents happen everywhere.

1. Baby Girl Swimsuit – Rufflebutts
2. Baby Girl swimsuit – Carter’s
3. Baby boy swimsuit – Gerber
4. Baby boy swimsuit – Carter’s

2. Sunglasses

Shades are great for delicate little eyes when the glare from the sun and water can be a bit much for baby. Pro tip: Grab a pair that that are flexible and come with a strap like these or you’ll spend the whole day pushing them back up your little one’s nose.

3. Sun Hat

A wide-brimmed hat keeps little faces and necks shaded, plus they look adorable! 😊 These are great sun hats for babies and toddlers and have so many adorable print options!

4. Water Shoes

Water shoes for babies and toddlers can be a practical addition to your beach-day gear, especially if you’re concerned about sharp objects like shells, rocks, or debris on the sand. They’re also great for protecting little feet from hot pavement or parking lots on the way to the beach. These are a great option for babies and toddlers, plus there are tons of fun prints to choose from!

5. Sunscreen

Use a baby-safe sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to protect their sensitive skin. This one is my all-time favorite that I’ve been using for 8+ years.

6. Dry Clothes

Bring some dry clothes just in case your baby gets cold or uncomfortable or if you want to change them before putting them in the car seat for the ride home.

7. Waterproof Dry Bags

In my early days, this was something I overlooked. Then when it came time to head home, I realized I had nowhere to put our wet suits and towels! Rookie mistake. You can use leftover plastic bags from the grocery store or something nicer like these.

8. Diapers (plus plastic baggies for disposal)

I like to bring regular diapers as well as water diapers. I’ve found that water diapers are a bit leaky (ask me what happens if your kid is wearing one in their car seat on the way to the beach).

So even though it’s an extra hassle, my kids have always worn regular diapers on the drive to the beach. I change them into water diapers after we get there, then back into regular diapers again before the drive home.

9. Swim Diapers

Swim diapers are obviously an essential on any beach packing list for babies and toddlers. I’ve tried several different water diaper brands, but these are my favorite!

10. Changing mat

Keep it small and simple. This a a super nice portable changing mat that’s also waterproof!

11. Wipes

Essential for diaper changes and wiping sticky hands while snacking! We make sure to always have some of these on hand.

12. Place for baby to nap

Don’t forget to consider this when making your beach packing list for babies and toddlers! (I often did in the early days.) Toddlers will probably nap easily on your beach blanket and towels after a couple hours of play in the water and sunshine, but you’ll want to consider in advance where baby might nap.

If you do contact naps, there’s no need to do anything besides bring something comfy for yourself to sit in (beach chairs and tubes have always worked fine for me). But if you want to be able to lay baby somewhere and do other things in the meantime, a baby travel pod like this one is perfect for quickly and easily popping up a nap spot. 

13. Bottle

If your baby is bottle fed, make sure to pack accordingly. If baby is breastfed, make sure to grab a nursing cover or anything else you need to be comfortable while feeding baby.

14. Life Jacket

When planning your beach packing list for babies and toddlers, don’t forget life jackets! Bringing a life jacket for toddlers or babies that you plan to take into the water is essential for ensuring their safety.

Any child who is mobile should ideally wear a properly fitted life jacket even just playing on the beach as accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. Here are my favorite Coast Guard-approved picks to keep your little ones protected while they enjoy their water adventures.

1. Puddle jumper lifejacket (toddlers 30-50 lbs.)
2. Coast guard-approved life jacket (Baby/toddler under 30 lb.)

15. Umbrella or Tent

The thing to consider on our beach packing list for babies and toddlers is everything you’ll need for your beach set-up! You’ll want some sort of permanent shade to be able to retreat to. This can either be in the form of a beach tent or umbrella. We’ve always gone with he umbrella option, but it’s up to you! A tent gives more shelter on a breezy day and might allow for a better nap setup if necessary.

16. Beach Blanket

Another essential for your set-up is a beach blanket! We have this one because it’s large, dries quickly, and comes with a little pouch to pack up easily and stakes to keep the blanket from blowing away. If you love all the cute prints, these are absolutely adorable!

17. Large Bag

Don’t forget a bag to carry everything on your beach packing list for babies and toddlers! Choose one that’s spacious and lightweight. Large Bogg bags are a great choice for the beach. They’re solid, spacious, stand up on their own, and can be customized with lots of accessories like pockets, bottle holders, toppers, and more. Mesh bags like this extra large one are a great place to toss all your beach items, plus the sand will get left at the beach when the day is done.

18. Towels

A must-have on our beach packing list for babies and toddlers is obviously towels! Pack extra for drying off and laying on.

19. Beach Toys

I’m not one for bringing a TON of toys to the beach, and you really don’t need to. A couple buckets and shovels (enough for each child to have one of each to avoid fights) really does wonders for keeping kids entertained at the beach. This set is small and simple, but perfect. Honestly, the other sets come with way too much. No one wants to keep track of all those pieces OR have to chase down all the toys that keep floating away! 

20. Chairs

We normally don’t pack chairs because we’re usually too busy chasing the kids around to actually sit. 😂 We’re also cool just hanging out on our beach towel if we do get the chance for a quick sit. But if chairs are something you’d like to have, bring them along!

I will say it might be nice for the kids to sit in chairs rather than the beach towel for less sand in their snacks! We just got my daughter this adorable Bluey camp chair that will be perfect for the beach.

21. Snacks

Food and drink is a huge part of our beach packing list for babies and toddlers! Kids are ALWAYS hungry, so make sure to have some food on hand. Depending on what time you’re there, you may even choose to bring a whole meal for a picnic on the beach. 

Some of our favorite, easy-to-pack options include:

• Fruit (pre-sliced watermelon, apples, tangerines etc.)
• Veggies (baby carrots, celery sticks, cucumber slices)
• Cheese sticks
• Trail mix
• Applesauce pouches 
• Chicken salad
• Jerky/meat sticks
• Puffs or wafer snacks for babies
• Liquid IV

22. Containers and snack baggies

Depending on what kinds of snacks you’re packing, use storage containers or waterproof snack baggies like these to pack them up!

23. Cooler

Of course, you’ll need a place to put all of your snacks that’s easy to carry and will keep them cool. We’ve used this Coleman cooler for years. It’s on the smaller side since we’re not looking to lug anything massive out there. Don’t forget the ice packs!

24. Water Bottle

Ensure everyone stays hydrated with water bottles and a few refills! We used this Camelbak water bottle for all our kids when they were toddlers.

25. Trash Bags

Handy for gathering snacks wrappers and dirty diapers all in one place. This is another thing I overlooked in my early days, but I’m wiser now. 😂 Plastic grocery bags work just fine!

26. Wagon, Stroller, or Baby Carrier

Now that we’ve gone over the whole beach packing list for babies and toddlers, you’ll want to consider how to transport your child(ren) and all your gear to the beach. If the beach is fairly accessible, a wagon or stroller is a great choice. We usually opt for our Ergo baby carrier because it’s a bit of a hike through sand and water to our favorite beach spot, and this leaves our hands free while wearing baby.

Additional Tips

Now for a few practical tips on how to execute this beach packing list for babies and toddlers!

Pack as much as you can the night before.

Make your food, pack up all beach-only supplies into the car, blow up any inflatables, and lay out bathing suits. It’s amazing how much easier it is to get out of the house if you just do some things in advance!

Be familiar with the beach in advance.

Scope out the location ahead of time to know the best spots for shade and convenience. You’ll also want to know where bathrooms are located and how accessible the beach is since that will determine whether you can bring a wagon or stroller. If you can’t visit first, read Google reviews of the beach online or call and ask!

Go later in the afternoon!

My favorite time to go to the beach now is after 3pm. The sun rays aren’t as strong so we’re not AS stressed about burning. It’s also less crowded because a lot of people tend to come earlier, then leave when it gets close to dinner time. It also makes sense if you’d prefer your toddler naps at home in the afternoon before heading out. And, you can also stay and watch the sun set over the water! All around, it’s a win.

By using this beach packing list for babies and toddlers, you’ll be well-prepared for a fun and memorable day at the shore. Don’t forget to enjoy the little moments with your family—these are the memories that last a lifetime!