10 Items You Need in Your Beach Bag: Make Beach Trips Easy

Make beach trips with your kids easy, pack a compact and efficient beach bag. Here are 10 beach bag essentials for this summer!

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Introduction

I am all about keeping things simple. Personally, I feel that the more extravagant you try to make something, the more daunting it becomes. That may not be true for everyone, but it’s definitely true for me. I will build things up in my head about what I need to be prepared, what I need to pack, what I might forget, and then the trip or task starts to feel so big that I feel exhausted just thinking about it. I want to make packing your beach bag easy for you (and me)!

My way to stop the overthinking, is to keep it simple. I am a huge fan of the KISS method, keep it simple, stupid. The easier the task seems, the more likely I am to complete it. With all that in mind, I am providing my top 10 beach bag essentials that will make your beach trips easy.

Forget large bulky beach bags. Forget overpacking for things that you won’t use the whole time you’re there. Forget being exhausted by the time you get to the beach, because you spent all your precious energy packing and hauling things. Let’s keep it simple this summer, and turn those beach days into a more enjoyable and more frequent activity with your kids!

Some links in this post may be commission linked. This does not affect the price for you, but does provide me commission if items are purchased.

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How To Pick the Perfect Beach Bag

Before we get into the 10 essential items for beach bags, let’s talk about the beach bag itself. Picking the perfect beach bag is essential for efficiency and convenience. Not all beach bags are the same! You want to choose a beach bag that works for you, and your items.

Considerations when picking a beach bag:

• Size: is it large enough for your items, but still convenient to carry?
• Use: will you be bringing cold drinks or snacks, and will it help keep these fresh?
• Material: is your beach bag going to bring the beach home with you (and not in a good way)?
• Comfort: will your beach bag be easy to carry, and not hurt your shoulders/back?

I love a stylish beach bag, but I will take the above items into consideration over style any day! Bonus points if you find a bag that meets these considerations, and you love the look of it!!

My beach bag is actually a cooler bag. I find this very convenient because it will keep my snacks and drinks away from the heat. Plus, the cooler bag lining and zipper keep sand and water out of my bag and off of my things!

Beach Bag Editor Top Picks:

Each of these top picks comes in a variety of colors or styles. These are just some great examples of a perfect beach bag. Pick what works for you, and your items based on the recommended criteria above.

Now that we have covered the beach bag itself, let’s move on to the items to put in it!

Some links in this post may be commission linked. This does not affect the price for you, but does provide me commission if items are purchased.

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10 Beach Bag Essentials

Some links in this post may be commission linked. This does not affect the price for you, but does provide me commission if items are purchased.

1. Towels (Tesalate Towels)

This might sound silly… but your beach towels can make or break your beach trip! The beach towels that you choose can make your trip hectic and miserable, or simple, efficient and enjoyable. I don’t know about you, but when I pack towels into my beach bag, that’s about all I can fit. I can’t just pack a towel or two to share, because everyone needs a towel at one time. If this wind blows and the kids get cold, they want their towel to cover up with. Once four towels are packed in a beach bag, there is no room left for the rest. You practically need a whole beach bag just for one towel. Or… you could buy a beach trunk, because that’s what you need to fit all the stuff you need!!!

On top of that, once your towel touches the sand or comes out of the bag, you will never get the sand off you again. The towel is covered in sand, you are covered in sand. It feels like sandpaper scraping your body as you try to dry off. You can’t dry your face because you’ll put sand in your eyes. It’s miserable!

**Insert Super Hero Music** I am here to save your day! Get Tesalate Towels!! These towels are lightweight, compact, and best of all, sand resistant. The sand will fall right off these towels. They dry super quickly, about half the time of your regular towels. They come with a nice waterproof carrying bag for each towel, and they take up a quarter of the space your regular towels do.

These are an absolute MUST HAVE for your beach bag, for easy and enjoyable beach days. You can get these by visiting Tesalate’s Website here!

Tesalate Beach Towels and Blankets.

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2. Beach Blanket (Tesalate Blanket)

Beach blankets are super important for an enjoyable beach day as well! I love beach chairs, I really do, but if I want to make my trip as simple and efficient as possible, I will most definitely use a beach blanket instead. Everyone can use the same beach blanket, you don’t need individual ones like chairs. Who wants to haul 3-4 or more beach chairs, along with their beach bag, toys, snacks, drinks and whatever else you have brought to the beach? Not me! I love the beach chairs, but I leave them at home, EVERY. TIME. It’s not worth the hassle.

On the other hand, beach blankets, just like towels, can take up a majority of your beach bag. I wanted to add this section directly under the towels, because the same company that makes those amazing sand-resistant towels, also makes a beach blanket! Take all the benefits of the towels above, and make it bigger!

How great would it be to pick up your beach blanket, and all the sand falls right off? It’s amazing! No more hauling half the beach home with you when you leave!,

You can get these by visiting Tesalate’s Website here.

Tesalate Beach Towels and Blankets.

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3. Drinks and Snacks

It would be a miserable trip to the beach with kids if you didn’t bring drinks or snacks. I promise you, your trip won’t last long. One of your drinks should most definitely be water. The beach is hot and sunny, and aside from the water that your kids will be playing in, there is nothing for them to drink. You will need to pack some water for your kids. Plus, don’t forget any beverages of your choice!

This can be as simple as some bottles of water, but I would highly recommend bringing some insulated water bottles and a refill container. Our go to water bottles are the Contigo Stainless Steel Water Bottles. These come in different colors, and have a spill proof lid that clicks down to hold the drinking spout. This is great to keep sand away from the spout, and the stainless steel lets sand just fall right off!

For refills on water, I keep an extra large insulated bottle that I fill about half way with ice, and the rest with water. That way, if it gets too hot, it’s really just melting the ice down, leaving you with cold refreshing water! My absolute favorite item is the 84 OZ Bubba Stainless Steel Water Bottle.

For snacks, brings things that are simple finger foods. You don’t want to complicate anything is plates and utensils. Your kids will be too busy playing to want to sit and eat from a plate anyways! I will have a post coming soon for “Best Snacks at the Beach”. Keep an eye out for this to come through!

If you are brining cold snacks, I would suggest having an ice pack. Don’t pack ice, as this will melt and cause a wet sandy mess, or soggy food! Ice packs will keep it cool without the disaster of wet hands and food. There are some containers that come with attachable or “built-in” ice packs, which are great for the beach!

Rubbermaid Food Containers with Ice Pack

54 OZ Bento Lunch Box with Ice Pack and Divider Tray

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4. Sunscreen

Sunscreen is an important item to have in your beach bag! I think by this point, we all have at least a general idea of how harmful sunburns can be. If you want more information on this, be sure to check out my post Safety In The Sun! for information on heat related illnesses and how to prevent them (including sunburns). We want to be sure to protect ourselves, and our kids.

When choosing a sunscreen for the beach, you will want one that is water resistant, and at least 30 SPF or higher. According to some dermatologists, one of the highly recommended sunscreens for children is Banana Boat 100% Mineral Sunscreen. This sunscreen is “tear-free”, which is fantastic for my son, because some sunscreen in his eyes can ruin his whole beach trip! This sunscreen is also available in a Spray On version, which is convenient and fast! Banana Boat, and many other brands, also have a Sunscreen Stick available. I would highly recommend this for accuracy when using sunscreen on you or your child’s face.

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5. Bug Spray

Another must have for the beach is bug spray! You may not always need it, but the minute you don’t bring it you will want it. There aren’t always a lot of bugs at the beach, but sometimes the fly’s or mosquitoes can be atrocious! It’s important to have some type of bug spray with you to deter these pests from bothering your fun time.

If you are looking for a natural bug repellant, I would suggest Murphy’s Natural Lemon Eucalyptus Oil Bug Spray. This is made from natural ingredients that have been proven to deter pests like mosquitoes and ticks.

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6. Protective Gear

Protective gear can be taken in whatever way you feel reasonable. Protective gear would be you and your kids protection from the sun. Personally, we bring sunglasses and coverups, my kids will not keep a hat on for anything. Sun hats can be a great sun protectant, as well as swimsuit cover ups or long sleeved sun protectant shirts, like these Boys Rashguard Shirts and Girls Rashguard Shirts.

Sunglasses are a great idea to keep you and your kids eyes protected and safe from the harmful sun rays. Another great idea (that won’t fit in a beach bag) is a beach umbrella. This can provide shade for your family when you need a break from the sun. There are many options out there for beach umbrellas, but one of the best on the market currently is Beachbub All In One Beach Umbrella System which includes as base and convenient shoulder/carrying bag that it all fits into.

We have our kids wear clothes over their swimsuits, and just bring a pair of underwear and shorts for the kids to change into before heading home.

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7. Water Shoes

Alright, I’ll be completely honest… I don’t pack water shoes for my kids into my beach bag. I don’t like to take up the space. On the other hand, they still have water shoes on when we go! Water shoes are great for kids because it keeps their sensitive feet off the hot sand, protects them from litter that may have been left behind (including those broken bottles that people don’t pick up…), and gives them something to wear in the water for their feet if they have sensory issues.

My kids actually wear water shoes for most of our summer activities. I have discovered these amazing water shoes that I will buy EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. They are quick drying, mesh fabric designed to be used as a sneaker or a water shoe. My kid does everything from playing tennis to swimming in these shoes! They sell out very quickly each year, but can be found online and in some department stores. These are OshKosh B’Gosh Pool to Play Shoes. You can find some here: Pool to Play Girl’s shoes and Pool to Play Boy’s Shoes. There is also a new style: Powell Sneaker, which I haven’t tried yet. The material looks the same, and I think I’ll have to move to these this summer for my son.

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8. Beach Toys

Beach toys can take up a majority of your beach bag if you aren’t careful! My kids don’t spend a lot of time with beach toys, and most kids are usually thrilled to have the basics. A bucket or two, a shovel, and the sand and water!

Our favorite beach toys are these Collapsible Beach Toys and Mesh Bag. There are buckets and shovels that collapse down into a small mesh bag. The mesh bag is easy to shake out the sand after playing, and it has straps that my kids can wear as a backpack. If we want to add extra toys, we can fit a couple more items into the mesh bag and we are all set to go!

I can fit this into my beach bag, but I actually have my son carry his own on his back to keep the sand out of the beach bag!

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9. Baby Wipes

Baby wipes are wonderful! I don’t like to go anywhere without a pack of these bad boys by my side. They are great for cleaning up messes, sticky hands and faces, sandy hands, and spills that are bound to happen. Baby wipes are great for wiping off hands before having a snack, wiping off bottles or toys that get dirty or sandy, and for all your other quick clean up needs! Just grab a pack of your preferred brand and stick them in the bag. You can even get Baby Wipe Travel Size packs that are smaller and easy on the go!

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10. Baby Powder

Last, but certainly not least, bring a bottle of Baby Powder! Baby Powder is made to absorb wetness, and wetness is the reason sand sticks to you so much! If you bring a bottle of baby powder in your beach bag, just use it on your kids hands, legs, and feet before they get in the car. The baby powder will absorb the water and sweat on their skin that is making the sand cling, and allow for the sand to brush right off! This is another great way to leave the beach, at the beach!

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I hope you have found this post helpful, and have found some great ideas for packing your efficient and convenient beach bag. Take a moment to check out some of the great products listed in this article, they will make your beach trips a breeze!

If you have any beach bag necessities that you want to share, please drop them in the comment below! I would love to hear from you. I will also respond to any questions, so feel free to ask!

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