I have found my favorite must haves to make for an easy beach vacation. Let’s be honest, packing for a beach vacation with kids can be really hard. We all know that when we’re at home, we lug a bunch of stuff to the beach in order to keep the kid busy. But, how do we get all that junk on an airplane?
It’s hard to find things that travel easily. Since we love a good beach vacation, I thought no better time than to sit down and share my must-haves to make an easy beach vacation.
Check out our latest post on Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, featuring no less than an amazing beach.
Without further ado, here is my packing list for a beach vacation with kids.
Easy Beach Toys
Over our last few beach vacations, we have found that sand toys are a must. They keep everyone occupied for hours. I will admit these sand toys are my favorite find so far. I have been trying to find something that would travel well and hold up over time.
The hardest lesson to learn on vacation is that not all essentials travel easily. Sand toys are a great example of this.
We learned this the hard way on our Disney cruise. Yes, Disney sells everything you could ever want. So rightfully, they sold sand toys. But how am I getting those buckets home? And do you know bad it feels to throw away a $20 bucket? BAD!
So, one late night of Amazon scrolling led me to these toys. They have been a score! I highly recommend you grab a kit for your next beach vacation with kids. You will not regret this one. Plus, the customer service was awesome. One of our buckets arrived cracked, and they sent us a whole need kit.
These collapsable sand toys travel so well and can be used so many times. We have owned these for several years and the wear on them is great. I expected the buckets to have broken down by now, but they are holding up well.
The other thing I love about these toys is the sandbags they come with. It makes it easy to transport and clean off the toys.
I have since purchased another set. I am preparing to end any future fights over sand toys. There is plenty to go around, and they fit perfectly in a suitcase.
The Best Infant Floaty
If you’re traveling with a little baby, a floaty is very helpful for pool time. we have traveled with an infant many times and find these to be super helpful.
Pool time is special and usually takes up a big portion of our vacations. The traditional children’s life jacket will not work for a baby.
I found this floaty, where the baby lays down on their belly. It also has a sunshade, which I love. We did not have a sunshade on ours and I regret that purchase for that reason. Anyways, this floaty works so well and is super easy to deflate when it’s time to pack up.
No Mess Beach Blanket
When venturing to the beach, a blanket or seating is a must. Yet, beach blankets can be fussy, but they are the easiest to pack in a suitcase.
Some resorts give you the option of chairs or cabana rentals. which is great, but if you do not have this option? I would suggest checking out this beach blanket. What I love the most about this blanket is how compact it is. Also, it is extremely easy to clean. Both are great details when choosing a blanket for travel.
Easy Infant Canopy for the Beach
When traveling with infants, the beach can be difficult. With three little ones under five, having free hands was challenging. Our sun canopy was purchased at a CVS in New Smyrna Beach, Flordia, but I did find one similar here.
We use this tent so much at the beach and even the pool. It is a great way to keep the baby shaded. The canopy has SPF 50, and with a fan, it is the perfect option to keep the baby cool on hot days.
Here, we dug her a tiny hole and made sure she was comfortable. She fell asleep instantly and slept like this for two hours.
Best Quality Fans
Traveling in warm climates with kids can be interesting. A portable fan is a great option to help keep them cool. After years of traveling to Florida, I have purchased some duds in the fan department. So I feel that I am an expert in this area.
My new favorite purchase so far is this flexible fan that has legs that can wrap around the stroller or car seat. What I love the most, is the battery life, which holds a charge for much longer than most of our other fans. This fan charges via USB and features three speeds.
Packable Life jackets
My favorite life jackets are made by Speedo. We pack these on every vacation. The jackets are lite weight, not bulky, and have a groin strap to keep the jacket from riding up on the kids. They lay flat in your suitcase and make it super easy to travel with.
My kids love this jacket and still wear it. We are able to take these jackets everywhere. They have great versatility and quality. We have had my daughter’s life jacket since she was two years old.
Favorite Goggles for Your Swimmers
My final suggestion is for a pair of goggles. I have two little swimmers at home, so the set I purchased was a pair. The features that I love about these are the carrying case that they came with and the easily adjustable straps.
I hope these recommendations help make your next easy beach vacation with kids possible. I use these products every vacation and I also bring them while camping. They are all so easy to pack. For example, this whole list only takes up the top portion of my suitcase.
I loved sharing all of our finds with all of your and I hope to hear from you soon. Please follow us on social media and do not forget to subscribe to our latest newsletters to score your free packing checklist for families.