19 Things You'll Need on the Beach with Toddlers!

This summer my in-laws treated us to a vacation on Emerald Isle, North Carolina. Located in the Southern Outer Banks of the state it was about a 3 hour drive from the Raleigh International Airport. My mother in law did such a great planning for the kids! I am sharing all of the gear she packed for a week on the beach with toddlers!

The post shares everything you need for a beach vacation with toddlers!

Wooden boardwalk leading through beach grasses to a sandy shore and gentle waves on Emerald Isle, South Carolina, under a calm morning sky.

Best Beach Gear for Toddlers

Beach Safety/Sun Protection

Shibumi Shade – works best with wind, but according to the brand, most beaches have wind 90% of the time! The Shibumi is so easy to set up, and it never blows away. The family next to us had a different type of sunshade, and they often seemed worried about it blowing away. A few times it did! Check if your destination has any local rental shops that rent Shibumi shades, if you’re going to the Outer Banks, they for sure did!

A beach scene with colorful Shibumi sun shades along the shoreline in Emerald Isle, North Carolina. Several people are enjoying the beach, with some lounging under sun shades, while others walk along the shore or sit in beach chairs. In the background, you can see beach houses and the ocean.

Sun Ninja – The Sun Ninja offers 50+ SPF protection! This is a little harder to set up than the Shibumi, but it never blew away. It’s most efficient to fill each sand bag with a large sand shovel to weigh down each corner of the shade.

Family beach setup under a blue Sun Ninja sun shade, with beach chairs, toys, and a toddler in a pink sun hat playing in the sand at Emerald Isle, North Carolina.

Anchored Beach Umbrella Or this one in fun colors…Anchored Beach Umbrella (Rainbow)!

Life jacket: this is a no brainer for any small child who plans to go in or near the water. My daughter has never been a huge fan of water – especially loud waves. With the life jacket on she did so much better! She even sat in the sand letting the tide wash over her on our last few days. Having a life jacket on made her feel more secure even though she never actually went in the water.

Mom, dad and toddler pose for a photo on the beach in North Carolina. The toddler is wearing a yellow life jacket with navy blue straps and buckles.

Sand-Proof Blanket – if you have really young kids, this sand-proof blanket gives their sensitive skin reprieve from the sand.

Toddler in a sun-protective outfit sitting on a beach chair on top of a blue and white striped sand proof blanket. Ocean waves are in the background.

Sunglasses and Sun Hats – don’t forget about these little items! I love the big brimmed sun hats best. It’s hard enough to keep a hat on a young child, sunglasses are nearly impossible. Sunglasses are great for older kids (and this is your reminder for your own packing list!)

Water Shoes – these are nice if your beach is rocky or has a lot of sharp broken shells. If you’re on the hunt for a good pair of water shoes for adults, (women’s shoe link) we love these! We bought them for our honeymoon in Greece years ago and have bought multiple pairs since! Tip: buy a light color so they stay cool on the sand.

Toys & Activities Essentials

Blow up Kiddie Pool – Tip: fill a cooler with fresh water (use a hose!) and pour into the kiddie pool at the beach. This way kids had fresh water to play in or wash up. This prevented salt water from getting into their eyes.

A boy playing in a blow-up kiddie pool on a beach house deck. He is sitting in the pool, surrounded by toys, splashing and using a recycled Gatorade bottle to dump water in the pool.

Dad playing with toddler boy sitting in a blow up kiddie pool on the beach. The pool has toy ocean animals and ocean waves are in the background.

Netted Beach Tote – any type of beach bag will work! It was nice to have bags that did not retain sand though. We used these for snacks, towels, books, kid toys, and more.

Sand castle toy set

Toddler wearing sun protective outfit playing near sand castle with moat. She is decorating the castle with shells. In the background is the family's beach set up and family beach homes.

Kids squirt toys – honestly, these were fun for the adults too!

Beach Walk book – our daughter loved this book and learned a lot about different parts of the beach. It also has game/activity recommendations for your time in the sand!

Kites

Children's kite with Pixar's Despicable Me Minion design. Two kite tails fly in the breeze against a blue sky surrounded by wispy cirrus clouds in North Carolina.

Toss & Catch game or Frisbee

Other Beach Essentials

Beach towels – I love that these are cotton and they design is classic. Can’t go wrong!

Best beach cooler – Tip: we purchased gallon jugs of water. This way we didn’t have to go back to the house throughout the day to refill our water bottles.

Beach chairs – these are classic beach chairs that are low to the ground. However, if you have any friends or family members who struggle to get out of low seats, pack a few of these taller chairs too! If you love things that have multiple purposes, this chaise beach chair converts into a wagon!

Double BOB running stroller – since my in-laws drove they transported our stroller for us. Really any type of sand stroller or wagon would be great! Even if you don’t have kids, some type of wagon is great for hauling things to and from the beach. You can also check out local rental companies or BabyQuip for your baby gear!

I hope these items help you pack for your next beach trip with toddlers! If you forget something, or can’t afford something, don’t sweat it! They’re only young once, don’t let anything hold you back. You can make a game with sand, shells and sticks! All our children need is for us to be present with them. 🫶🏻

Toddler girl wearing a sun hat sitting in the sand surrounded by beach toys. Her legs are covered with sand made into a mermaid tail design. The mermaid sand tail is decorated with seashells.

A hand made wooden shell washing station outside a beach house in Emerald Isle, South Carolina. The basin of the washing station is full of shells and sand toys.

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”
– Dr. Seuss

19 Things You’ll Need on the Beach with Toddlers!