8 Beach Trip Necessities

Looking for a few ideas of things to bring with you on your next beach trip? I have discovered a few new fun beach trip necessities that our family LOVES!

If you are planning a beach trip in the near future then this just might be the post for you! After years of coming to the same little beach with my family, I am discovering some new “necessities” that are both super fun and also super affordable … and these finds are NOT just for kids!

I have been visiting Amelia Island for the last 40 or so years and every single time I step foot on the sand here after months of being away, it is like falling in love with this place all over again. I have shared about our little vacation spot here on the blog before – it truly is a magical place. There is just something so cool about visiting the same place every single year since you were a child!

Don’t you love that feeling? You know the one! That warm fuzzy feeling inside that just hits you hard as you begin packing up your beach bag and as you anticipate the perfect day at the beach. It’s funny though – I have noticed that WHAT I pack has changed over the years that we have come here. I have been visiting Amelia Island at all the major life stages: single, as a newlywed, with babies, with toddlers, and now I am here with my teenagers. Each stage is magical for sure – but it seems like I pack a bit differently! Today I thought I would share the 8 beach trip necessities that I brought with us on this particular trip!

Beach Trip Necessities

Let’s start with this umbrella! Usually (with the three kids) we will bring a big tent to sit under, but when Mark is not with me (like on this particular trip)I usually stick with something that is more manageable for me! I used two of these on this trip and it was perfect!

A few days ago, right before we left for our beach trip I decided to run out and get a new, roomy, beach bag! I wanted one that the kids could stuff all of their things into … and I wanted one that wouldn’t catch sand! I found this one for under $8.00 and I love it! It has worked out great – so far so good!

I don’t know about your favorite beach but ours has a ton of spots where little critters like to hang out! The beach, during low tide, creates little tide pools and those are many times filled with all sorts of sea life. I decided to order this pack of little nets so that my kids could explore some of the amazing creatures that we often see.

To go along with the nets, I decided to order a little portable aquarium! This is the such a fun way to see some of the wild life up close. But, don’t worry … my kiddos are very respectful of the wildlife and we always return these creatures right back where we found them. I must also admit that this little bucket became a seashell holder too!

I try really hard to find clean products for my family. I found this sunscreen and we are in love – not only with the ingredient list but also with the coverage that it provides!

I am also loving this great, clean sunscreen.

And this one as well!

OK – so you might be wondering what I am doing mentioning a makeup brush on this blog post …. but hear me out! I am really crazy about making sure my kids reapply their sunscreen every few hours while we are out at the beach – nobody wants a sunburn – and I recently saw this tip on social media! I use a makeup brush to apply the lotion onto their faces and necks and ears! It works like a charm! Just be sure to clean the brush with a little dish soap when you get home from the beach and you will be ready to go the next day!

I got my mom this little mini speaker for Mothers Day and now we are able to bring it to the beach and enjoy a little music while relaxing on the beach! It is super easy to use – it just links right to your phone and you are able to use Pandora or Spotify to stream your music!

These were hands down the best thing that we brought on this trip! These boogie boards kept my older kids busy for hours … and I may have played around with them too. Bonus: I used them as a flat surface to prepare our beach lunches!

My boys also enjoyed this board as well – it was a little bit harder for me to maneuver this one!

Wrap Up

I hope that you and your family have a chance to get away for a little trip this summer! And, if you come to the beach, I hope that this quick list of beach trip necessities that we love will help make your trip a success too! Cheers to the sunshine and to celebrating summer with your families!