Top Things To Consider For Your Next Family Fun Beach Vacation

Summer is here and with warmer weather and longer days means it’s time to head to the beach. While a beach vacation conjures up images of relaxation and carefree days and nights, it’s important to not get too carefree before you leave on vacation. After all, the whole point of a vacation is to avoid the everyday banalities of life.

While it might be tempting to wait until the night before to pack, it’s a good idea to have an itinerary. It doesn’t have to be super detailed, but if you plan on visiting other attractions along the beach, you’ll want to make sure you the appropriate clothes. This is especially important for family vacations as you’ll definitely want to have enough supplies to keep them happy and entertained as long as possible.

Besides packing properly, you should also do some research into the beach vacation locations in general. Some locations might be better suited for families than others. When choosing the right location you should consider the following:

• Waves - As fun as it is to play in the water, depending on the location and time of year, some beaches can have powerful waves and undertow. If you’re traveling with young children you’ll want to look at bay or cove beaches as they typically have shallow water and manageable waves.

• Beach type - Not all beaches are the same, there are sandy beaches, pebble beaches, seashell beaches and more. When traveling with young ones, it’s a good idea to stick with sandy beaches to prevent injuries if they trip or fall. It’s also great for sports and sand play, two things many kids enjoy. Plus, they’ll still be able to find some seashells to remember their vacation.

• Check the weather - While you can’t really know what the weather will be like on your vacation, especially if you’re planning in advance, it’s still a good idea to know what to expect. Depending on where you’re going, certain seasons and months might see more or less rainfall so make sure to book your beach vacation around the more sunny months. Once you’re a few days away, check out the local weather to prepare for any surprise rainy days. 

Once you’ve found the perfect beach and date (or at the very least as close to perfect as you can), it’s time to start packing. If you’re traveling to a location that is far away, it can be difficult to know what to pack as you want to make sure you have all the essentials, but you don’t want to bring too much stuff. The below packing list can help you reduce your stress and luggage.

Personal Items To Pack

Before you even pack up your beach items, you should make sure to pack up all of your personal essentials. This includes things like:

• Drivers license

• Credit and debit cards

• Cash

• Health insurance cards

• Rental/hotel confirmation

• Auto insurance

• Toiletries

• Feminine products

• Hair products

• Toothbrush

• Benadryl

• First aid kit - bandages, cotton balls, alcohol

• Prescriptions

• Multi-vitamins

• Everyday clothes and shoes if you plan to visit other areas besides the beach

• Pajamas

• Socks

• Underwear

For things like over-the-counter medications, prescriptions, and even feminine products, you don’t need to carry the entire bottle or box. Instead, bring enough to last your entire vacation. This might mean putting the bills into a resealable bag. For toiletries, purchase the travel size versions as these will take up less space in your luggage. Make sure to also put these into a resealable bag to prevent potential leakage from getting onto your clothes.

Sunscreen

The number one item you should never forget is sunscreen. Choosing the right sunscreen will not only prevent you from getting a skin burn, but it will also reduce your chances of developing skin cancer and skin aging. When looking for sunscreen, make sure to choose one with broad spectrum protection. This protects against both UVA and UVB rays both of which can contribute to skin cancer. Only products that pass certain tests will have the broad spectrum label so make sure to read the bottle.

The next piece of information to look for is the SPF or sun protection factor. Most dermatologists suggest an SPF of 30 or higher as this will block the majority of the dangerous UVB rays. While the higher the SPF the more you will be protected,  no sunscreen can protect you against the UV rays 100 percent. In fact, even 100 SPF only offers 99 percent protection with SPF 30 offering 97 percent. It’s not recommended to go lower than SPF 30, however, as at that point it does not protect you against skin aging or cancer.

When choosing your sunscreen, you should take into consideration your skin type. If you have acne or oily skin, you should look for the label ‘non-comedogenic’, which means that the sunscreen should not block your pores. For people with dry skin, look for moisturizers that have sunscreen or sunscreen with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid or ceramides. If you have sensitive skin, consider physical of mineral sunscreens. These use zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to protect you, both of which won’t burn or sting eyes. Unlike traditional sunscreen, these sit on top your skin and form a barrier. For younger children, there are sunscreens specifically formulated for kids, so use those instead as they will have gentler ingredients.

Finally, the last piece of information you want to look for is the water-resistant label. No sunscreen is water or sweatproof and manufacturers cannot claim they are. Instead, most will use the label water-resistant and specify a time, usually 40 or 80 minutes. Obviously, the longer it ‘lasts’ the less you need to reapply. With that said, if you plan on being outside for most of the day, you should reapply at least every 2 hours. If you’re swimming, you should reapply as soon as possible as the water and towel will remove the sunscreen from your body. When applying make sure to use more than you think is necessary. You should use at least one ounce (about a shot glass) of sunscreen to fully cover your body.

Beach Clothes

When you’re at the beach you don’t want to be encumbered by heavy clothes like jeans or sneakers. Not only will you get hot you’ll also end up with sand getting in your pants and shoes. That’s not something you want to deal with when you’re walking around town on your non-beach days. While having separate beach clothes and regular clothes means you need to pack more stuff, you’ll definitely be grateful for the clothes change as will your children. Besides, beach clothes don’t take up too much room in your suitcase as they’re usually light and thin. 

Some essential beach clothes include:

• Swimsuit or swim trunks (at least two for each person)

• Sun hat and/or baseball cap

• Sandals/flip-flops/water shoes

• A cover-up of some kind such as a sarong

• Sunglasses

Do you need to find a new swimsuit? Getting the perfect one can be difficult, however it’s not impossible. In order to find the best swimsuit for you, it’s important to keep in mind your preference on style and fit. No two bodies are alike, so you’ll have to try on a few to find the one that best suits your body. With that said, there are a few things that you should keep in mind when choosing a new swimsuit:

• Comfort - Avoid swimsuits that will make you feel self-conscious or require constant readjustment. Choose one that you feel comfortable in regardless of what other people might think. After all, the point is that you like it.

• Mix-and-match - For many women, one-piece swimsuits will never work because of their proportions. If you fall into this category, it’s important to mix-and-match the top and bottom sizes to make sure you receive proper coverage. Even if you don’t have this issue, you can still match up different colors and styles.

• Understand fit - At physical stores, you can usually try on swimsuits. However, more and more people are purchasing swimsuits online. While these online stores allow for returns and exchanges, many also provide sizing charts for that particular style and design. It’s important to take a look at these numbers before making a purchase. Even if you’re a size 4 at one store, you may end up at a size 6 or 8 at another. You’ll want to take the following measurements: bust, waist, torso (start at the top of one shoulder down through your legs and back up the same shoulder), and hips. Use a soft measuring tape to get these numbers and then compare them to the size chart of the brand you want to purchase from.

Beach Essentials

Depending on how long you intend to stay at the beach, you’ll want to make sure you pack a few beach essentials. If you don’t want to bring too much stuff with you, you can always buy these once you arrive, but these items might end up costing you much more at your destination than if you just bought them at home. A few items you should absolutely bring with you to the beach include:

• Beach towels so you can lay on the sand and dry yourself off

• Insect repellant - many locations will have mosquitos and other biting bugs so make sure to spray yourself

• Swim goggles for yourself and the kids so you can see underwater. If you want to go snorkeling, many beaches have rentals

• Waterproof bags to protect your electronics

• A beach bag to carry all of your beach items

• Water - it’s important to stay hydrated at the beach as the hot sun and salty water can easily lead to dehydration

• Lockbox to store your personal items

• Life/safety jackets for young kids

Shade / Umbrella

In addition to wearing sunscreen, it’s a great idea to bring an umbrella or canopy for additional protection from the sun. Not only will it help block the UV rays, but it will also keep you cooler and thus at lower risk of getting heatstroke. Canopies tend to be a bit too big to easily fit in your luggage, which is why many opt for beach umbrellas.

Nowadays, many beach umbrellas are quite compact when folded and can easily fit into a suitcase, duffel bag, or overhead compartment. With that said, it still does take up room in your luggage, so you’ll need to pack accordingly. If you’re flying, it might make sense to have a separate suitcase with all of the large beach items such as the umbrella, beach towels, floats, balls, and pails and to check them in.

Entertainment / Technology

While some people enjoy just relaxing and tanning on the beach, if you have kids they’ll probably want to do a variety of activities. When packing for your beach vacation, remember to keep it lightweight. Bring items that can easily fold into something smaller or just don’t take up a lot of space. These include:

• Inflatable toys

• Frisbees

• Beach ball

• Cards

• A small shovel and pail for the kids

• Floaties for the kids

• A book or an e-reader for adults

• Waterproof portable speakers

• Power packs to keep your electronics charged

• Board games for rainy days

Picnic Gear

While eating at the beach isn’t ideal (you’ll likely get sand in your food and drink), if you plan on spending your days there, you definitely will need to have some snacks and actual meals on hand. Of course, you don’t have to pack anything fancy. A few sandwiches, some fruit/veggies, water, and some granola bars or other small snack is enough to keep you energized. Depending on where you go, some beaches do have restaurants where you can eat, but many do not so make sure to do some research beforehand.

If you do end up on a beach that does not have any food to buy, you will definitely need to pack the following:

• A cooler or insulated bag

• Napkins

• Plastic-ware

• Paper plates

• Condiments (you can buy the small packages that you see at fast-food restaurants online)

• Insulated cups

• Beach chairs - while not necessary, you’ll be much more comfortable and relaxed when eating and drinking 

A Summer Vacation Is Not Complete Without A Visit To The Beach

A summer vacation at the beach is definitely one of the highlights of the year for many families. The parents get to relax while the kids get to enjoy the water and fun beach activities. Of course, all of this requires careful planning and packing.

Even with planning, there’s bound to be something you forget. For the most part, you can always drive into town to pick up items you might have forgotten. Sometimes the hotel and/or beach house you’re staying at might even provide you with some essentials. So even if you do end up forgetting something remember that it’s not the end of the world and to relax and enjoy yourself.

Rebekah Pierce is a professional social blogger and has worked on several online publications including Citrus Sleep. Rebekah is an experienced content writer and copyeditor. You will find many of her works throughout CitrusSleep.com that cover a wide array of subjects including sleep education, natural, sleep products, electronics, fashion and many more. She is passionate about her work and family.

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