When planning a family trip to the seaside there are some baby beach essentials you do not want to forget.
These items will make your day trip, or holiday, at the beach so much easier and totally stress-free.
As with most things to do with your baby, planning ahead and ensuring you have all of the right kit will make it much easier for you as parents to enjoy yourselves.
While your beach bag pre-children probably only included sun cream, a towel and a decent book, there are a few extras you will need for taking a newborn to the beach.
This complete guide takes you through all of the beach essentials to pack for baby.
You may also like: Baby travel packing list
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Baby beach trip essentials
When packing to take your baby to the beach there are some key elements to focus on:
- Clothing – Beach clothes should be practical, helping to protect your baby’s delicate skin from the sun’s rays while also letting them enjoy splashing a little in the sea. At least one change of clothes will be crucial.
- Food – Pack enough milk feeds and snacks/solid meals to keep your baby happy.
- Comfort and safety – Your baby may need to nap while you are at the beach, so a place for them to sleep that is safe and comfortable is key. Sunscreen that is suitable for baby’s delicate skin and all of your essential supplies (nappies and wipes) are also key. Towels to dry your baby off and warm them up if they do get a little wet are also important to remember.
Let’s take a deep dive into what should be on your beach trip packing checklist for baby. There’s a free printable to download and use at the end of this article!
Where can baby nap at the beach?
One of your most important beach essentials will be a place for your baby to sleep.
You could take your baby’s buggy for a handy place for them to snooze, although pushing a buggy on a stony or sandy beach can be quite tricky.
Because the buggy can be tricky to get onto the beach, a UV baby tent can be a far more convenient place for baby to sleep and escape from the sun too.
Read on for more about UV tents.
What do I need for taking baby to the beach?
Baby swim suit
There is a huge variety of options when it comes to a baby swim suit.
Some look a bit like a wetsuit, but are made of much lighter fabric, and will cover their arms and upper legs. These are good if you are going somewhere with particularly intense sunlight, as will provide better coverage for the skin.
Then there are normal swim trunks and swim suits, that look much like what adults would wear.
Sometimes these have built-in leak protection, which means the cuffs around the legs may be tight to the skin to prevent poop leaking out. It’s always best to put swim nappies on underneath a swim suit (more on those in a minute).
You could also choose to just dress baby in a swim nappy to take a dip in the sea, or play on the sand.
Swim nappies/diapers
Regular diapers will swell up once the hit the water, so you need some swim diapers to keep baby from causing a stink at the beach.
You can find both disposable swim diapers as well as reusable ones that you rinse and wear again, much like a regular swimsuit.
If you plan to take your baby for a little swim in your arms then a swim nappy is definitely essential. These are less absorbent than regular nappies, which will simply puff up and become useless if you dip them into the water.
Baby-friendly sun screen
Your baby’s skin is extremely delicate and needs to be protected from the sun’s rays.
The best protection is clothing covering their skin, so light, long-sleeved tops and shorts or trousers work well.
However baby sunscreen is also a helpful barrier. Look for something that is SPF 50 and also take note of the UV rating – trying to find something with at least four stars, preferably five.
Remember to reapply every couple of hours and still keep baby out of the sun when it is at its highest point in the middle of the day.
Baby sun hat
Your baby’s scalp, neck and face are particularly vulnerable to burning, so a sun hat is a great way to protect those areas.
Some baby sun hats come with an extended flap at the back to provide wider neck coverage.
If you plan to swim then look for a waterproof hat that will dry off easily.
Pack a spare in your bag just in case one gets lost.
Towels
Take at least one spare just in case.
You could take basic towels, however for babies a hooded towel and/or towel robe or poncho is really useful for keeping them nice and snug and drying them off quickly.
Baby shades
Whether or not your baby will keep these on is hard to say, however they will protect your baby’s eyes from UV damage.
When shopping for baby shades look at the following features:
- Protection – Look for maximum protection against UVA and UVB. This information should be provided on the product description.
- Durability – look for something that is flexible and can cope with being bent and dropped a few times.
- Fit – Some baby shades come with a wraparound strap to keep them in place.
- Comfort – If they make your baby cry because they pinch or are tight this will be no good, so always try them on first before heading to the beach with your baby’s new shades.
UV tent
Shade is absolutely crucial for your baby when spending a day at the beach.
UV tents are an absolute must-have in my experience, not just with babies at the beach but with toddlers and older kids too!
They provide a little haven for kids to have a nap, and also get away from the sunshine.
You can pop your baby inside the UV tent for a sleep, or let them play with some toys in there.
Our UV tent simply pops up, so all we have to worry about is anchoring it down inside (we tend to use a bag or you can use a couple of large rocks). It then folds down to go back into a small bag for carrying when it’s time to leave.
Some baby UV tents include a mini pool feature, like this one, so that baby can splash about without needing to be taken down to the surf.
There are UV tents that are big enough for an adult to crouch into a well, and others that are just big enough for a baby to fit into, such as this one. These are best for newborns or if you just want the UV tent for nap times.
Windbreak
A windbreak is useful in addition to a UV tent as it provides some shade and protection from the wind for your baby as they play on the sand.
Waterproof beach blanket
An absolute must-have to give you a spot to sit, eat and for baby to roll around and play fun beach games.
Look for something large enough for all of you to sit on, and that folds up into a handy carry-sized bag (preferably with a handle) for ease of use.
Regular diapers and wipes
A fold-up changing mat may also be a useful addition to have with you.
You may already have one – as many diaper bags come with them as standard.
If not you can purchase handy travel changing mats that are wipe clean and fold down to a small size for easy packing.
A bag for dirty nappies, or nappy sacks, will also be handy as a place to put the waste.
Muslins
At least one muslin – I prefer the giant ones – can help you out in a multitude of ways.
Use it as a burping cloth, changing mat cover, tummy time mat or light blanket for when baby needs to nap.
Bottle/breastfeeding kit
If your baby is formula fed then you’ll need to bring enough milk feeds to last you the day.
Small bottles of readymade formula is much easier to manage on day trips such as this, however it does of course cost a lot more than the powdered formula.
There’s a handy guide to making up bottles in advance in this article.
Some bottle feeding essentials to remember are:
- Formula
- Bottles and teats
- Bottle bag
- Ice pack
- Bib and muslin
If you are breastfeeding and regularly use a pump you may want to bring a Haakaa manual pump, which is small and easy to pack.
Baby snacks and food
If your baby is weaning then bring a jar or two of baby food so that you can keep them happy.
You’ll have no high chair, of course, so feeding them on your lap may prove easiest. Don’t forget to pack bibs and an extra muslin to wipe up any mess at the end.
Water
Bring enough water for yourselves as well as enough for your baby if they are over six months.
Baby beach toys
You’ll find your baby is so fascinated by the sights, sounds and features of the beach that they won’t need many toys!
However you may want to pack a couple of essentials, such as their favourite comforter if they need it to settle for a nap.
A ball your baby can roll around makes a brilliant beach toy, as does a spade and bucket if they are old enough to sit up.
I found these brilliant bucket and spade kits where the bucket collapses to make it super easy to carry in a beach bag.
Baby float
You can buy floating seats or rubber rings for babies so they can float easily in the water. Armbands are best for older babies or toddlers.
You always should supervise your baby when they are using these.
A change of clothes for baby
It’s always sensible to have at least one change of clothes with you for your baby. I would recommend packing two changes of clothes if you have the space.
You never know when there could be a nappy explosion or food spillage.
Nursing-friendly outfit/swimsuit for you
Don’t forget to ensure you have all of the practical essentials for yourself!
If you are nursing a beach outfit that allows easy access is essential. Its doesn’t have to be breastfeeding specific – a bikini or swimsuit that can be easily pulled down is absolutely fine.
If you prefer to use a breastfeeding cover in public don’t forget to pack this too.
Comfy fold-up beach chair
When of our best investments for family beach trips has been foldable beach chairs.
This will be particularly useful if you are nursing your baby, as you will be much more comfortable sitting in a proper chair with a back to it then on the sand with no support.
Small first aid kit
If your baby is on any medication then don’t forget to pack whatever dosage you need for your trip.
Your first aid kit should also include:
- Plasters
- Hand sanitiser
- Painkillers – including baby painkiller such as Calpol
- Tweezers – just in case you need to remove something from the skin
- Small bottle of water – to wash away sand from wounds or eyes
Beach bag
You may want to split your essentials between a two to three different bags. This has the benefit of keeping sandy, wet items separate for food and diaper changing supplies you want to keep clean and dry.
Bags that are machine washable or wipe clean will work best. Here’s how you should divide up your stuff.
Wet bag
- Towels
- Baby swim suit
- Beach ball or frisbee, bucket and spade
Dry bag
- Muslin
- Change of clothes
- Baby’s hat and sunglasses
- Nappies
- Wipes
- Barrier cream
- Light blanket for baby in case the beach gets chilly
- Sunscreen
Cool bag
- Milk feeds and/or food for baby
- Snacks for you
- Picnic food
- Water
Free printable baby beach essentials list
A free PDF printable of all of the baby beach essentials mentioned in this article is available to download right here.
Final thoughts on baby beach checklist
These are all of the items you need to have a brilliant time at the beach with your baby!
Ensure you have everything you need to keep their skin safe from the sun’s rays as well as the essentials you use for feeding milk and solids.
Visiting the beach is all about having fun, and giving your baby a great experience! Plan ahead and use our handy checklist and you will have an amazing time.
