The Ultimate Beach Vacation Packing List for Families

A Peek at the Fun: If you’re planning a trip to the ocean and thinking about what to pack, this beach vacation packing list is ready to help so that you can focus on the fun. Print it out, check off the items as you pack and then head to the fun in the sun without stressing about your packing!

~Written by Amber~

It’s the middle of February and if you live anywhere like where we do, you’re right in the middle of winter and you’re probably sick of snow and winter and slush and cold like we are. Are you dreaming of getting away on a tropical vacation? Wishing you were somewhere warm?

White sand, turquoise water, warm water, palm trees, hot tubs, and swimming pools, these are the things we are dreaming about right now.

A few months ago, my family and I visited the Beaches Resort in Turks and Caicos. It was all that I mentioned above and more. Endless food to eat, virgin drinks at the swim up bar for my kids, floating in the hot tub and looking at the stars late at night. It was honestly paradise and we all keep talking about it and wishing we could go back right now. It was paradise.

Are you planning a beach vacation? Where are you headed? Where’s your favorite place to visit and what is it about that place that you love best?

(That’s a peek at the Beaches Resort in the Italian Village where we stayed. Do those palm trees get you like they do me?)

A couple of summers ago my family also spent a week in Oceanside, CA on the beach for a week too.

We love, love, love spending time at the beach! And the beach at Beaches Turks and Caicos is the top rated beach in the world! We had heard that but we saw why when we were there. Look at the color of that water! That’s not a trick from the pictures, that’s the real deal. We couldn’t get enough of it.

Between these two trips, I feel like we’ve gotten a good feel for what you need and what you don’t on your beach trip so that you can make the most of it, so I’ve put together this beach vacation packing list to help you out!

Beach Vacation Packing List:

Obviously, this is going to vary a little depending on where you are going, for how long and who is going with you. And of course, personal preferences. But here’s something to get you started on your packing.

Let’s start with some ideas for your beach vacation packing list and then down below is a printable version if you’d like it.

Things to Pack for Your Beach Vacation:

Things to think about packing to keep you happy while sitting on the beach that might be different from your average vacation packing list.

Swimming Suits: This is probably a given to bring the swimming suits, but think about packing more than one if you’re going for very long so that you can trade them out, wash them, allow them to dry and have a little variety.
Coverup: You don’t want your skin in the sun all day, so make sure you pack some coverups for yourself and your family, whether that’s a rashguard for the kids or a cute dress for you, just make sure you’ve got something to cover up. On our trip to Beaches, we needed coverups or light clothes to go to one of the all-inclusive restaurants, so it was nice to have something handy.
Sunscreen: Bring lots!
Clothes: It’s tempting to want to pack enough outfits for every day, but if you’re like us, you will spend most of your time in your swimming suit and won’t get dressed very often, so think about just packing a few outfits for when you really need them.
Beach Bag: You’re going to have things you want to carry back and forth to the beach, so be sure to bring some sort of bag to transport it all.
Beach Towels: This one is a maybe. Find out before you go if the place that you are staying has beach towels for you. It can be really handy to not have to pack these if you don’t have to.
Beach Toys: I prefer to pack pretty light for a beach trip, but depending on the ages of your kids it can be nice to throw in a few toys like buckets and shovels or a football for the kids. (This might be something that the place you are staying already has too.) This could also include things like snorkeling gear, goggles, boogie boards, or other games for the beach.
Flip Flops or Sandals: Nobody wants shoes on the beach, so make sure you have some great beach footwear.
Beach Umbrella: It can get hot in the sun, so if the place you are going doesn’t have built-in shade, you might want to bring something to create shade for you.
Dry Bag: If you’re taking your phone or camera down to the beach, it’s nice to have something to keep it dry. This can be a dry bag or even just a Ziploc that you use to keep things dry.
Sunglasses: Don’t forget these! That sun gets bright.
Chairs: If you’re driving and can bring beach chairs, you’ll be glad you did! If you’re flying you can’t obviously, but maybe you can find somewhere you are staying.
Aloe Vera/Lip Balm/Baby Powder: These can be handy to have. The aloe for if you burn yourself, lip balm for sunburned lips, the baby powder will help brush the sand off from your body after the beach.
Cooler: If you plan to eat on the beach, this can be handy to have with you!

These are our main staples for a beach vacation. Are there other things that are essential for you?

Here’s a printable version of the packing list that includes all of this plus the basics to help you figure out what you need as you load those suitcases.

Printable Beach Vacation Packing List:

Hopefully, this printable list will be helpful for you. You will obviously need to tweak it for your own family and your own vacation, but this should give you a good start!

Printable List: Printable Beach Vacation Packing List