Last Updated on February 14, 2025 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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Water and Swim Essentials
Swimsuit
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.
- Baby Girl Swimsuit – Rufflebutts
- Baby Girl swimsuit – Carter’s
- Baby boy swimsuit – Gerber
- Baby boy swimsuit – Carter’s
Baby Swim Float
If you actually want to bring baby into the water, you’ll need something like this! This makes it easy for baby to explore the water. Please not that this is not intended to be a life saving device and baby still needs to be supervised constantly!
Life Jackets
When planning your beach packing list for babies and toddlers, don’t forget life jackets! Bringing a life jacket for toddlers is essential for ensuring their safety during water activities. Any child who is mobile should ideally wear a properly fitted life jacket anytime they are near or in the water, as accidents can happen in the blink of an eye.
For supervised play in the water, water wings can be a helpful addition to keep toddlers afloat, but it’s important to remember they are not a lifesaving device and should only be used under close adult supervision. Here are my favorite Coast Guard-approved picks to keep your little ones protected while they enjoy their water adventures.
- Puddle jumper lifejacket
- Coast guard-approved life jacket (Baby/toddler under 30 lb.)
Beach Shoes
Beach shoes for babies and toddlers can be a practical addition to your water-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!
Towels
A must-have on our beach packing list for babies and toddlers is obviously towels! Pack extra for drying off and laying on.
Waterproof 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.
Sun Protection
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 comes with a strap or those things will just slide down their nose all day long or inevitably get lost.
Sun Hat
A wide-brimmed hat keeps little faces and necks shaded, plus they look adorable! 😊
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.
- Toddler sunglasses with strap, various color options
- Baby sunglasses with strap, various color options
- Floral baby girl sunhat, various print options
- Solid baby sunhat, various color options
- Sunscreen
Set-Up
Beach Umbrella or Tent
The next category 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.
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.
Place for Baby to Nap
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 bed like this one is perfect for quickly and easily popping up a nap spot.
Food and Drinks
Food and drink is a huge part of our beach packing list for babies and toddlers!
Bottle
Whether for formula, milk, or water, have it ready!
Snacks
Snacks are essential for the beach! 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
- Vitamin water
Containers/baggies/spoons
Your kids inevitably will need something to put some of their snacks in and/or eat out of. Don’t forget the containers and snack baggies!
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 stuck to a cooler that’s on the smaller side since we’re not looking to lug anything massive out there. Don’t forget the ice packs!
Water Bottle
Ensure everyone stays hydrated with water bottles and a few refills!
Additional Essentials
Diapers/Water diapers/Wipes
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, they come to the beach in regular diapers and I change them into water diapers after we get there, then back into regular again before the drive home. And, of course, wipes are essential for diaper changes and wiping hands!
I’ve tried several different water diaper brands, but these are my favorite!
Changing Mat
This a a super nice portable changing mat that’s also waterproof!
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. 😂
Extra Suit/Dry Clothes:
Bring an extra suit just in case of accidents (and a plastic baggie for soiled clothes)! This next part is up to you, but bring dry clothes if you want to change your baby/toddler before putting them in the car seat for the ride home.
Beach Toys:
I’m not one for being 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!
Large Bag
Now that we’ve gone over the whole beach packing list for babies and toddlers, you need a bag to carry everything! Choose one that’s spacious and lightweight. Mesh bags are a great place to toss all your beach items, plus the sand will get left at the beach when the day is done. You can try this one with pockets but ours is more like this extra large one since a lot of our beach stuff is so bulky.
Wagon, Stroller, or Baby Carrier
Consider how you’ll transport your child and gear to the beach. If the beach is fairly accessible, a wagon or stroller is a great choice. We usually opt for the baby carrier because it’s a bit of a hike through sand and water to our favorite beach spot (where most of these photos were taken).
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 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 by the shore. Don’t forget to enjoy the little moments with your family—these are the memories that last a lifetime!
