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Beach Vacation Must-Haves for Families with Kids
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items As a mom of two, I’ve learned the hard way what to bring — and what to skip — for a stress-free beach day. These are the things that actually made our trips easier, more fun, and way less chaotic.
My kids love trying to fetch these from the bottom — honestly the best $7 I’ve spent to keep them entertained at the pool.
Pool Sinkie Toys
Still love the Vineyard Vines one more, but these are a surprisingly great sub when your kids are rolling around in the sand and mud all summer!
Boys' Swim Shorts - art class
One of the best! No white cast and goes on so smooth. Forever rebuying this
UV Clear SPF 46 Sunscreen for Acne-Prone Skin
LOVE LOVE LOVE! Gives a nice glow plus sun protection!
Glowscreen SPF 40 - Tinted Sunscreen & Primer
This saved us when we were in the desert heat in Arizona. Bringing it along to our next beach vacation.
Instant Cooling Towel
I’m not bringing beach towels on our next vacation bc we’ll be at a hotel, but the airbnb we stayed at last week had these towels and they were so fluffy and comfy. Not too thick, so they’ll dry fine. Biggest pet peeve of mine is that improperly drie...
Beach Towels
A total lifesaver on hot beach days, especially for kids who overheat fast. Personally prefer rechargeable ones so you’re not constantly hunting for batteries.
Small Portable Fans
Bring this in every trip. This coming from someone whose mom packed 3 extra sets of clothes for me on car rides and I’d always throw up over every set. Thanks Mom!
Dramamine, Original Formula Motion Sickness Relief, 12 CT
A total game-changer for family travel when my kids were younger — it folds up like a backpack and weighs under 8 lbs, so no more lugging a bulky car seat through airports or worrying about rental car installs. Worth every penny for the peace of mind...
WAYB Portable Car Seat
Never leaving for a trip without this again — my kids are carsick prone and this has saved us more than once.
Dramamine Kids
I bring this on every trip, especially at airbnbs. It takes 45 seconds to install and gives you an extra layer of security and peace of mind.
Brinks Portable Door Lock
The quality is genuinely worth it - these hold up through summer camp without fading or falling apart like cheaper ones do. That said, full price is steep, so I always find a coupon code or wait for their end-of-season sales.
Vineyard Vines Kids Swim Trunks
We’ve gone through a lot of water sandals and keep coming back to these. They dry fast, stay on well.
Nike Kids Sandals
My kid refuses to travel without this - it’s the perfect personal item size for the plane and the colors are so fun that they get excited to pack it. Bonus: every single one is unique since they’re made from repurposed fabric scraps.
Cotopaxi Backpack My Kids Love
I throw a few of these in my luggage whenever we travel. They’re perfect for sandy toys or a quick grocery run on vacation. Love that they scrunch down to nothing so they take up very little space in your bag.
Mesh Washable Grocery Bags
So much easier than chasing kids around with sunscreen every hour- throw this on and you only have to worry about their face and legs. Mine wear them all day and it holds up through hours of waves and salt water.
Colorblock Rashguard Top
This is so much easier to apply on the face of your kids are squirmy like mine!
Supergoop! PLAY Sunscreen Stick - SPF 50
Learned lesson the hard way when my husband walked into the pool with his phone in Portugal. Now this goes on every beach and pool trip. Keeps your phone dry and you can still use the touchscreen right through it. Make sure this fits your specific ph...
Case-Mate Waterproof Phone Pouch