From Galveston and Port Aransas to South Padre Island, my family loves our beach vacations. We crave sunshine, warm sand and the smell of the ocean! I look forward to playing in the sand with the kids, combing the beach for sea shells and the therapeutic sound of waves crashing.
Sometimes our trips are painstakingly planned to the minutest detail. And other times, on a whim, we just hop in the car and go. But each scenario has one thing in common, a tried and true beach vacation packing list. This list will take the stress off of you, so that you can head off to your family beach vacation confident that you have all of your bases covered.
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Our Family’s Ultimate Family Beach Vacation Packing List
Beach Clothing
- Swimsuits (ideally two per person)
- Swimsuit cover-ups
- SPF swim shirts
- Flip-flops
- Water shoes
- Sun hat with SPF protection (these hats are perfect for the little beach goers)
First Aid
- First aid kit
- Baking soda or hydrocortisone cream for jelly fish stings
- Solarcaine and aloe for sunburns
- OTC pain reliever
- Benadryl
Beach Items
- Beach bag; I highly recommend this one
- Beach towels
- Beach blanket; We use this one
- Beach/camping chairs
- Beach tent/canopy
- Battery-operated fan for sleeping babes and tots
- Beach and pool reads (books, magazines, etc,)
- Hats, sunglasses
- Life jackets for the younger non-swimmers
- Cooler with wheels or tote cooler
- Food, drinks, plastic-ware, napkins
- Trash bag
- Hand sanitizer
- SPF lip balm
- Waterproof sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Beach toys, frisbee, balls (my boys love to toss a football on the beach)
- Metal detector
- Floats, body boards
- Swim goggles
- Various sizes of ziploc bags to store wet items, protect cell phones, store collected shells
- Corn starch or baby powder to remove sand from everyone
- Baking soda or hydrocortisone cream in case of a jelly fish sting
- Flashlights for nighttime beach activities, including the ever-popular sand crab catch and release
Beach House/Condo Items (Pack and/or Purchase at Destination)
- Cleaning supplies
- Laundry detergent
- Pop-up hamper
- Extra pillows
- Extra blankets
- Foil
- Travel Seasonings for cooking
- Ziploc bags
- Paper towels
- Paper plates
- Napkins
- Plastic-ware
- Dish soap and dishwasher detergent
- Trash bags
- Food
- Drinks
- Water
- Beer, wine, liquor, mixers
Entertainment, Technology and Novelty Items
- Novelty “Chillin’ with my Beaches” stemless wine glass
- Ice cream maker
- Deck of cards and poker chips
- Card games (UNO, Go Fish, Old Maid)
- Board games
- Books and magazines
- Gaming console and video games for rainy days
- DVDs
- Camera
- Portable speakers
- Cords and chargers
- Backup battery chargers
- Notepad and pens
- E-Readers
And That’s Our Family’s Ultimate Family Beach Vacation Packing List
Follow our beach vacation packing list, sit back, relax and enjoy your family time at the beach! And don’t worry if you’ve missed something, the majority of these items can be purchased just about anywhere.
Planning a trip to Disney soon? Check out my Ultimate Disney Packing List.
