Beach Vacation Packing List

Woohoo it’s summer; time for a beach vacation! I LOVE traveling but hate packing it all into two suitcases. I’ve found that drivable summer vacations are easier with kids because you can pack everything you might need. As long as you remember to bring it.

Now, what to pack? If you’re like us, you’re staying at a house where they promise furniture and walls but not much else. After a few trips of forgetting a crucial item, I’ve put together a beach vacation packing list to remember the items that aren’t always “necessities” but make the week much easier and more comfortable.

This is my packing list for our summer beach vacation with young kids:

• Outside essentials:
  • Sunscreen(!!), sun hats, sunglasses
  • Bug Spray, bug bands
  • Swim stuff (goggles, sand toys and buckets, small pool for baby)
  • Cooler, cooler packs, reusable containers or baggies
  • Water bottles
  • Beach towels
  • Beach tent or shade of some sort
  • Outdoor activities (bikes, helmets, kites, soccer ball, frisbee)
  • Beach chairs
• Sleeping essentials:
  • Night lights (~3)
  • Sound machine
  • Pack n’ play (or somewhere for the toddler to sleep that they cannot get out of)
  • Stuffed animals or whatever they need to sleep
  • Car/sleep/comfort blanket (1 per kid)
• Kitchen essentials:
  • Cooking spray, spices, ketchup?
  • Tinfoil
  • Saran wrap
  • Grill Lighter, charcoal/starter wood (if they have a grill)
  • Everything for the first night’s dinner (ex. meatloaf, loaf pan)
  • Case of bottled water
  • Non-perishable foods (cereal, PB & J, fruit snacks, granola bars)
  • Pampered Chef microwave steamer (steam frozen veggies!)

• Kid essentials:
  • Small step stool
  • Small, easy-to-pack games (UNO, Go Fish, Left Center Right)
  • Books
  • Neosporin, bandaids, Motrin
  • Shoes (flip flops, sneakers)
• 1 pair of long sleeve shirt/jacket and pants (even if it will be 80 degrees, just do it)
• Shampoo, conditioner, body wash/bar soap, toothpaste (Real size– no TSA restrictions!)
• Shower towels (1 per person, 2 hand towels, 1 kitchen towel)
• Bed sheets
• Charging cords for all electronics
• Toilet paper, a box of tissues, paper towels, trashbags
• Laundry detergent and dryer sheets (enough for 1 load/day)
• Baby essentials:
  • ANYTHING YOU NEED TO KEEP BABY HAPPY, DIAPERED, FED
  • Travel high chair
  • Stroller
  • Baby carrier
• Mom essentials:
  • Clothes, toiletries, bathing suit, shoes

And then add whatever you normally bring on vacation if you were flying on an airplane (limit what you bring).

Why do I add “mom essentials” on there? Because in the rush of packing, I always pack myself last and in a rush. Then, we arrive and I don’t have a hairbrush, bathing suit or shoes. So they’re on the list!

Before leaving, we identify the nearest Whole Foods, Walmart, Target or grocery store and pre-order groceries for pick-up. After unpacking, one adult makes dinner while the other picks up the groceries. Nobody has time to scramble for food with hungry, tired (whiney) kids!

Yes, it’s nice to eat out, but especially with the coronavirus quarantine, we don’t want to rely on finding somewhere on the fly. Plus, if we go to the beach, we bring food with us. Avoiding hungry children is key.

Are there any summer vacation essentials you bring for your road trip or home away from home?