What to Pack for a Family Beach Trip, According to Well-Traveled Parents
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Planning beach trips with kids (and all their gear) is no easy feat—we'd go so far as to say it's a discipline that, when skillfully executed, should be applauded. That’s why we’ve called on the experts—parents who live within minutes of a shoreline and travel-savvy ones who understand packing constraints—to share their best family beach gear recommendations for days by the water. With their collective decades-worth of caretaking and vacationing experience, their perspectives are parenting gold.
Read on for their top family beach packing list picks, useful whether you're hitting the road to spend the summer at a beach house or live within driving distance of the shore year-round. (Planning for a trip with babies in tow? That requires an even more specific packing list—and we've got you covered.)
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
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Lovevery The Investigator Play Kit
Honolulu-based mom-of-two Stephanie Muneno weaves Montessori-inspired lessons into her family’s regular beachside jaunts. She says Lovevery’s Investigator Play Kit includes diverse toys that keep her three-year-old daughter engaged throughout their daylong outings: “The ‘Liquid Lab’ adds to our sand and water play, the hoops and bean bags are perfect for family game time, and our countdown color timer makes transitions so much easier.”
Ryobi One+ cordless clamp fan
For sweltering days when a light ocean breeze just isn’t cutting it, it’s time to bring in a heavy hitter that’s compact and reliable. Poer loves the Ryobi One+ Cordless Clamp Fan, a portable option with a battery/charge life that lasts up to 40 hours, thanks to its professional-grade rechargeable lithium-ion battery. “We hook it onto our beach chair handle, the post of an umbrella or tent, or propped on a towel to cool off those little ones playing in the sand,” she says.
Powder pouch sand remover
We’ve all been there: You and your kids are covered head-to-toe in sand after a long day at the beach. To compound matters, you want to exit the beach as clean as you entered it. Thankfully, Lexi Poer, a mom of two from the Atlanta suburbs, has found a miracle sand remover. “When you’re at the beach with infants and kids, you can expect sand in all sorts of places, from their hair and face to their sandy bottoms. These little powder pouches make it so easy to clean off sand without using water.”
Hydro Flask 20 L Day Escape soft cooler pack
Singer-songwriter Ron Artis II (of Ron Artis II & the Truth) grew up in Haleiwa, Hawaii, and wanted to instill the love of the outdoors on his growing brood that includes five kids. For beach days, the Artis family takes their Hydro Flask’s Soft Cooler Packs, a backpack-style insulated bag that keeps refreshments cool for 36 hours. Just add ice packs or cubes, he says. A bonus: The zip top seals out the sand. “It also works for bringing extra clothes,” Artis II says. “It keeps everything dry, cool, and away from all the beach elements. Beach days add a little extra to our normal level of chaos, so it helps to have some comfortable standards for the family, like dry, cool clothes to change into.”
Business & Pleasure x Palm Beach Lately adult beach chairs
Sisters Beth Aschenbach and Danielle Norcross, co-founders of the lifestyle blog Palm Beach Lately, share a lifelong love of the beach. Growing up in the surrounding areas of Palm Beach, Florida, they frequented the ocean and are now sharing their love of the salt life with their collective six children, ranging in age from four months to 11 years old. They recommend their recent collaboration with Business & Pleasure: beach chairs for the whole family. The adult and kid versions feature UV-, mold-, and water-resistant canvas, plus the pastel-pink design looks stylish at any beach. “The kids chairs fold up, are lightweight, and come with a strap so the kids can carry their own chairs,” Aschenbach says. “And the adult versions have backpack straps, so you can carry them on your back and free your hands to carry other beach essentials.”
Blue Ginkgo silicone beach bucket and toys
The Palm Beach Lately sisters also love the ease of bringing along Blue Ginkgo’s silicone beach toys, a lightweight, travel-friendly option that helps encourage their kids’ creativity and engineering skills. “The bendable material makes these beach buckets and toys perfect to pack and travel with,” Aschenbach says.
SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50
Mom of four and founder of the Tampa Mama blog, Marisa Langford is a vet when it comes to protecting her family (which includes an 8-, 11-, 15-, and 16-year-old) from the harsh sunny weather. “SkinCeuticals Physical Fushion UV Defense SPF 50 is the best sunscreen I’ve come across,” Langford says, adding that her kids report it doesn't irritate their skin like other sunscreens. Other huge pros include 100 percent mineral filters for protection against broad spectrum UVA and UVB rays and no white cast.
Veer Family Base Camp
For Conz Preti, a Maine-based content creator and mother of three kids under four years old, ease and comfort are of utmost importance. Preti packs the Veer Family Base Camp (one of our top picks for baby beach gear), an open-air tent shelter that literally pops up to open—meaning, no assembly needed. She says it’s simple to set up and break down, even while holding a baby in one arm. “What’s even better is that I can change everyone out of wet clothes and into dry ones without getting covered in sand or exposing myself to half of the beach,” she says. “My twins even took a nap in it [during our last beach trip], shaded from the sun and staying cool, thanks to the side mesh windows.”
Ballast beach pillow
As the leader of a family of six, Langford has few moments to relax, but when she does, she takes advantage. “Once you’ve got everyone else settled, get out your book and quickly inflate your Ballast Beach Pillow,” she says. Compact and padded, this beach pillow can be paired with cooling gel packs for extra climate comfort; if you tend to overheat at the beach, slip a pack into your cooler, then into the pillow's sleeve when you need some relief.
Business & Pleasure The Premium beach tent
For the family who also wants a functional, easy-to-use canopy that’s as chic as the family it’s shading, fashion designer Amanda Perna—based in Delray Beach, Florida, and mother to four-year-old Stella—recommends Business & Pleasure’s beach tent, made from eco-friendly materials. “I appreciate a beautiful, timeless design that elevates a functional accessory—like a beach tent—and this one delivers in so many ways,” she says.
Tommy Bahama folding beach chair
Living in St. Augustine, Florida, with a brood that includes two boys, ages six and nine, Rob Taylor says a lightweight yet sturdy chair is an indispensable beach accessory. The founder of LGBTQ+ family travel blog 2TravelDads and author of The Road Trip Survival Guide, Taylor says, “The aluminum framed Tommy Bahama folding beach chair is the winner in our family.” The best part is that these chairs are lightweight enough that even his kids can tote them from car to sand.
Hiearcool waterproof phone case
A tiny investment will help protect your smartphone against all the uncertainty that the beach may offer. Alyson Seligman, a Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, single mom to an 7- and 11-year-old and creator of blog The Modern Savvy, says she discovered the benefit of this waterproof phone pouch during a paddleboarding trip and hasn’t looked back since. “It's perfect to keep your phone in while at the beach, kayaking, and other outdoor adventures,” she says.
Dejaroo mesh tote bag
Any parent can visualize the ubiquitous image of families toting multiple bags to the beach. Well, let that be a thing of the past, says Seligman, thanks to this mesh tote bag with eight pockets that can separate all your beach needs, from sunglasses and towels to snacks (anything that doesn't need to go in the cooler), sunblock, kids toys, and more. “The mesh is genius,” she says. “You don't bring the sandy beach home with you, and all the pockets make the bag extra-functional.”
Goture water-tight tackle box
The beach offers endless finds for kids in the forms of shells, coral, and other seaside treasures, but what does a family do with their haul? “Having a small box such as a water-tight tackle box is a clever way to both engage kids in the wonders of nature and help them limit what they bring home,” Taylor says. “Also, what they do bring back from the beach is already organized in a sealed space, so it's not going to spread sand everywhere.”
Isle inflatable stand-up paddle board
“This is our family time, so we love to play together while we are soaking up the sun,” Langford says. A few of the Langford family’s must-have toys include the Isle Inflatable Stand-Up Paddle Board, a super-durable board that’s constructed with layers of military-grade PVC; Coop Pipe 33 Bodyboard, sized for kids four feet and shorter; and Coop Battle Bounce, a game for two to four players that’s a cross between volleyball and four square.
Mark & Graham x PBK wet/dry bag
All good things must come to an end, including beach days. Packing wet items in a wet/dry bag seals your family’s dirty, wet gear away from items that are clean and dry. “For a quick beach-to-brunch change, put the wet swimsuits in a wet/dry bag, like those from the Pottery Barn collection,” Seligman says. The bags come in various sizes and designs, with optional personalization, too.
Herringbone Turkish towel
All beach towels are not created equal. Courtney Blacher, single mom to 12-year-old Reese and creator of the World In Four Days blog, loves Fly Apparel’s Turkish beach towels; made with 100 percent pure organic Turkish cotton, they're environmentally friendly and super soft, she says. Plus, their sophisticated designs don’t scream beach, allowing them to double as throws for the plane ride. “When Reese and I visited the Bahamas last year, we packed one for each of us in our carry-on,” she says. “They kept us warm on the airplane and stylish on the beach.” [Editor's note: While the Fly Apparel towels have since sold out, this Turkish towel from Huckberry is another great option.]
FbSport portable badminton net set
“Since we spend long days at the beach, we bring entertainment for the family,” Taylor says. That includes a portable badminton set that's constructed within a few minutes. Even better, all parts (a 10-foot net, two steel badminton rackets, and two badminton shuttlecocks) can be stored in the base for easy transportation. “Playing a simple, hilarious sport on the sand is a great break from crashing waves,” he says.
