Whether you are spending a day at the beach or taking a vacation somewhere warm and sunny, this checklist will tell you exactly what you need to bring for a successful trip. This essential beach day packing checklist includes everything from the basics to what food to bring and even items for people travelling with a baby, toddler or teenager.
You won’t need to pack every single item on this list, but I guarantee if you use this beach day checklist as a guide, you won’t forget a thing.
The Ultimate Beach Day Packing Checklist
Beach Day Packing Checklist Basics
These are the basic items you might want to include on your packing list for a day at the beach.
Clothing, Women
One change of clothes
Sandals, flip flops
Swimsuit
Robe, sarong or cover-up
Sun hat
Bandana
Water shoes
Athletic shoes
Workout gear
Sunglasses
Clothing, Men
One change of clothes
Sandals, flip flops
Swimsuit
Sun hat
Bandana
Water shoes
Athletic shoes
Workout gear
Sunglasses
The best type of clothing you can pack for a day at the beach is Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) clothing. Designed to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun, it is made with specific materials and sewn in specific UV blocking ways. It’s important to know that UPF clothing is rated to indicate what portion of the sun’s ultraviolet rays can penetrate through the fabric. For example, a hat with a UPF rating of 50 allows only 1/50th of the sun’s ultraviolet rays to reach the skin.
Beach Gear
Cart with wheels
Beach bag
Beach chairs
Umbrella/Canopy/tent
Beach blanket
Beach towels
Safety/floatation devices
Cooler or insulated bag
Beach safe
Waterproof phone case
Other fun things to add to your beach day packing checklist include:
Beach Ball
Water toys
Snorkel gear
Sand toys
Frisbee
Paddleboard
Goggles
Nerf Football
Kite
Toiletries
Aloe vera/after sun cream
Barrettes/bobby pins
Cosmetics/make-up
Contact lenses/solution
Deodorant
Disposable wipes
Feminine hygiene products
Hair elastics
Hairbrush/Comb
Hairstyling products
Hand sanitizer
Insect repellent
Lip balm with SPF
Moisturizer
Nail file/clippers
Waterproof sunscreen with high SPF
Medicine and First Aid Items
Band-Aids
Epi-Pen
Pain pills (Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen, or Aleve)
Triple antibiotic ointment (Neosporin)
Extras: Beach Day Packing Checklist
You should consider adding some of the following items to your beach day checklist for entertainment purposes.
Technology
Cell phone and charger
Digital Camera and charger
Electronic games and chargers
Extra power packs to keep everyone’s devices charged up
Headphones
IPad and charger
Laptop or tablet and charger
MP3 player and charger
Portable speakers
Spare batteries
Spare memory cards, high capacity
Selfie stick
Waterproof Camera and charger
Entertainment
Books
Card games – UNO, etc
Deck of cards
Magazines
Pen and notebook
Travel games
Miscellaneous Travel Essentials
Bottle opener
Binoculars
Cash
Clothespins
Collapsible umbrella
Cups
Emergency phone numbers, addresses, emails
Extra ziplock bags of various sizes
Garbage bags/plastic bags
Inflatable pillow
Napkins
Paper towels
Plates
Rain poncho
Reading glasses
Safety Pins
Scarf
Tissues
Toilet paper
Utensils
Watch
Water bottles
Snacks
Bottled water
Candy
Chips
Crackers
Energy bars
Fresh fruit
Gum
Nuts and seeds
Raw vegetables
For the Car Ride
Car chargers
Garbage/plastic bag
Portable entertainment items
Snacks & drinks
Beach Day Packing Checklist for Babies and Toddlers
As any parent knows, kids of all ages need a lot of supplies when visiting the beach. If you have a baby or toddler, your beach packing list will be even more extensive. Here are the things I include on my own packing list for a beach trip with my baby/toddler.
Baby powder
Bathing Suit
Beach float
Blanket
Bottles
Chair for baby
Clothes
Collapsible stroller
Coverup
Cups
Diaper bag
Diaper rash cream
Diapers
Ear thermometer
Formula
Infant Tylenol or Advil
Insect repellant
Life jacket, PFD
Pacifiers
Portable baby basinet
Portable pack and play
Reusable wet bags or gallon-sized Ziploc bags for wet clothes
Small cooler bag
Snacks & water
Spray bottle
Sun hat
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Swim diapers
Tent for beach
Towel with hood
Toys – balls, bath toys, beach toys (shovel, bucket, watering can, etc.)
Travel high chair
Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) Clothing
Utensils
Vaseline
Washable bib
Water bottle
Water shoes
Waterproof blanket
Wipes
Beach Day Packing Checklist for Teenagers
If you plan a trip to the beach with your teenager and wonder what to bring, I suggest that their packing list includes the same basic and extra items listed above. Also, if it’s possible, have them bring along a friend. Other items to bring to the beach for a teenager include:
Extra sports equipment (badminton, soccer, volleyball, etc.)
Craft or hobby items (knitting, sketchbook, etc.)
What are the essential items you have on your beach day packing checklist? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section below!
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