The more prepared you are for your beach day, the more relaxing it will be
Packing for a day at the beach with the family can almost seem like packing for a week-long vacation.
Between towels, chairs, umbrellas, food, drinks and toys — it can be enough to fill the back of a minivan.
Whew. No wonder parents can be worn out before even stepping onto the sand.
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Especially when kids are young, remembering all the necessities can make or break a day at the shore.
When heading to the beach with kids, there's lots of extra gear you'll want to pack. (Annette Holloway/Icon Sportswire)
"If you don’t have the right gear, you all will be miserable," said Eileen Ogintz, a family travel expert and author of the "Summer Guide to Fun" at Takingthekids.com.
"The right gear can really make a difference — and most important, the right gear can keep everyone from getting too much sun and (getting) sun burned. We all know how dangerous a sunburn can be for young children."
Here is a roundup of must-have beach items for families heading to the water with little ones in tow.
- Infant cabana
- UV wristbands or stickers
- Hooded towels
- A comfortable seat for mom and dad (plus a small chair for little ones)
- Bag for wet clothes
- Buckets and shovels for sand castle masterpieces
- A fitted sheet for a sand free zone
- A cooler with drinks and snacks
- First aid kit
- A beach cart
- Plenty of sunscreen
- Games
- A speaker and a catchy beach playlist
1. Infant cabana
Any parent knows that taking a baby to the beach can turn into a disastrous situation if the adults are unprepared. Infant cabanas take away most of the possible worries by providing ultimate protection from the sun as well as a safe place to nap.
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These are relatively inexpensive and can provide much-needed shade for your little one during a day at the beach.
Long days on the beach can get hot for little ones. Bringing a form of shade, like a pop-up cabana, will give them a place to go when they need a break from the sun. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
2. UV stickers
Keeping enough sunscreen on the kids throughout the day can almost take the fun out of enjoying the beach for the parents.
There are plenty of products available that can take the stress away by letting parents know when it's time to reapply the sunscreen.
UV stickers come in packs, so you can have plenty for all of your beach days. All you do is put the sticker on — it changes color when it's time to reapply sunscreen.
These will help you keep track of when to put sunscreen on your kids.
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You can also put a sticker on yourself to make sure you are protecting your skin, too.
3. Hooded towels
It can be difficult to pull kids away from the water at the end of the day when it’s time to head home. There are tons of hooded towels that might help you get your kids out of the water.
If your kids love the water, get a fun hooded beach towel they can use to dry off. (Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images)
Hooded towels come in all kinds of different designs, such as land animals and sea creatures, so you are sure to find one that your child will love.
4. A comfortable seat for mom and dad (plus a small chair for little ones)
While you're probably not going to be able to sit and tan at the beach when watching after kids, it is still important to have a nice, comfy beach chair to sit in while you do have time to relax.
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You can also get a cute beach chair for your child with an attached umbrella to keep kids in the shade.
5. Bag for wet clothes
You’re going to have quite a lot of wet gear from a beach day, and it can be a hassle getting it home when you don’t have a separate place for your wet and dry items.
To avoid having wet swimsuits in the car mingling with other items on the way home from the beach or lake, pack an extra bag for these items. (Romy Arroyo Fernandez/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Make sure you pack a separate bag to throw everyone's wet clothes in after a long day in the water.
6. Buckets and shovels for sand castle masterpieces
Sand toys can keep kids entertained for hours on end.
Take a bag of sand toys to the beach complete with plenty of shovels and buckets to build sand castles and other creations in the sand.
7. A fitted sheet for a sand free zone
The ultimate beach hack is bringing a fitted sheet to keep a sand free zone. All you have to do is place the fitted sheet upside down on the sand and put four objects on the corners to keep it opened.
Then, you’ll need a small foot bath. Fill that with water from the ocean and place it outside your fitted sheet with a towel next to it.
After collecting sand on your feet, dunk them into the water bucket, dry them off on the towel and then step into the fitted sheet, which should remain fairly sand free with this method.
Using a fitted sheet and water can create a section that is free from sand. (BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Throughout the day, whenever someone wants a break from the sand, such as when it's lunchtime, follow this process to keep sand out of your sandwich.
8. A cooler filled with drinks and snacks
Be sure to have plenty of drinks and snacks that are going to last you all day at the beach.
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Chips and sandwiches are easy beach foods to pack. Plenty of water is a necessity to stay hydrated in the hot sun.
9. First aid kit
Accidents happen — and you’ll want to be prepared just in case they do.
Bring a simple first aid kit to the beach in case of accidents. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
You don’t need anything fancy here — just a simple first aid kit that can help with any minor injuries.
10. A beach cart
Carrying all of your things to the beach can be a struggle, but a beach cart makes things a lot easier.
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While there are different beach cart designs, a lot of them look similar to a wagon. You can throw everything into one of these carts and then pull your items along with you instead of trying to carry everything with your two hands, while most likely dropping things on the way.
11. Plenty of sunscreen
Don’t forget the sunscreen for a beach day.
Spray, lotion, face sunscreen — make sure to grab it all.
You can never have too much sunscreen at the beach. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
12. Beach games
Beach games provide endless fun for families.
Whether it's a game like Spikeball, or just a football or volleyball to toss around, having different activities for kids will help keep them occupied.
13. A speaker and a catchy beach playlist
You’ve got to have the beach tunes playing throughout the day.
A waterproof speaker is your best bet, so you don’t have to worry about it getting ruined.
Kimber Crandall contributed reporting to this article.
Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital.
