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11 Must Have Beach Essentials to Take to the Beach

Stock photo from pexels by Kindel Media of a Brown Woven Bag and hat on Beach

11 Must Have Beach Essentials to take to the beach on your day out + FREE Printable Day Out Checklist –[Updated for 2026]

A day out at the beach is one of my favourite summer activities. I love everything about it from feeling the sand between my toes to swimming around in the sea.

I love it all.


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What I don’t love however is making my way to the beach, setting up and realising I’ve forgotten one of my must have beach essentials!



Must Have Beach Essentials

These handy must-have items are an integral part of making the trip to the beach with a child, a walk in the park.

They help me stay organised and have a fun filled day out without worry.

So, today I’m sharing a list of the must-have beach essentials to make your trip to the beach a breeze.

Example of checklist in use

I’ve also put together a free checklist printable and fillable PDF to make sure you never forget a thing.

What’s great about the template is that it can also be used for any day out to stay organised! Keep reading to get your hands on a copy!



Stock photo from pexels by Karolina Grabowska of a person standing on white sand, holding an orange sun hat

These are my Must Have Beach Essentials



Beach Bag

The first thing on my list of essentials is a beach bag!

You’ll need one big enough to fit everything in. So make sure you look at the sizes of the bags you’re considering.

We bought this beach bag last year and it’s honestly been AMAZING for days out. It’s spacious, can be folded away and is high quality.

This is definitely my number one recommendation – Buy Lekespring Waterproof Beach Bag Today!

Here are some other top recommendations



Towels

Going to the beach means lots of sand and water. So, always remember to take a towel with you.

Handy for getting dry after taking a dip and rubbing that sand off your feet at the end of the day.

Here’s some super cute towels perfect for the beach!



SPF

I’m sure that by now we all know It’s important to wear your SPF everyday!

But when we’re planning to head for the beach on a warm summer’s day, sometimes we over look this.

So this is a reminder, DON’T FORGET YOUR SPF!

Your SPF will help protect your skin from the sun’s UV rays and cut down on the chance of sunburn.

Make sure it’s in your beach bag before you set off for your day at the beach.

Here’s some of my favourite SPF’s we use in my house



Water

Don’t forget to stay hydrated in the heat!

It’s so important to keep yourself hydrated at all times, but even more so on those extra hot summer days.

Make sure you take some water with you when you’re out and about.

Consider taking a reusable water bottle with you to cut down on any plastics and one use cups.

It keeps you hydrated and it’s good for the planet.

Here’s some cute water bottles to check out!



Snacks

A trip to the beach without snacks? No thank you!

Having snacks at the beach for a picnic is a good way to keep your body fulled.

If you’ve got kids you’ll be up and down more times than is humanly possible to count and you’ll be running around having fun.

So keep your energy up and remember to eat!

It’s also a good idea to take a cooler bag with you to keep everything cold and fresh.

Here’s some fabulous cooler bags to keep all your yummy snack in



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Blanket

A blanket is perfect for laying on the sand so you can sit and relax.

I love having a huge blanket to relax on when at the beach so it’s separate from my towel that will no doubt get wet.

Here’s my top picks for blankets to use at the beach



Hand sanitiser

I take hand sanitiser everywhere with me now. It’s important to make sure my hands are staying germ free, especially nowadays.

Pop one in the beach bag to easily use at the beach.



Sunglasses

Keeping your eyes protected from the sun is so important.

On those sunny days it can be hard to see properly with the sun shining.

So, remember your sunglasses.

Here’s some of my top picks of stylish sun glasses for summer



Hat

If you’re heading out for the day to the beach, you may want to make sure you keep your head protected from the sun.

If you’re like me and tend to feel the burn of the sun on your scalp, even in slight heat, wearing a hat is a must. It helps protect your head in the sun.

Summer Hats



Swimwear

Going to the beach isn’t complete without your swimming stuff is it?

To make your trip to the beach as smooth sailing as possible, I recommend wearing your swimwear under your clothes.

This means you don’t have to do the awkward changing beside the sea.

It’s also a good idea to take a cover up for when you’re out of the water and still wet so your clothes don’t end up soaked.

Looking for swimwear recommendations? I got you and the whole family covered!

New Look UK
Womens – My top picks

Mens – My Top Picks

Childrens/Teens – My Top Picks


Beach Essentials – Activities

Taking the kids to the beach is such a fun day out. So many memories will be made from swimming around to running on the sand.

Some of the best though will be those games you played together or sandcastles you build.

Remember to take something along to keep them engaged in fun. Beach activities make the best memories.

Here’s some beach activities you can do as a family



Beach Essentials Free Checklist printable

Grab your copy of the Free Day Out Checklist today and have the best days out with less stress!

This checklist can be printed or used digitally with the Fillable PDF version.

Download now!
Download Printable Version Download fillable pdf version


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5 Comments

  1. I hope to visit the beach this summer and when I do, I’ll definitely be using your checklist! I love the LEDAOU Large Beach Bag, especially because it comes in so many different colors/patterns and has compartments for your flip flops too. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  2. These are some really great beach essentials. I like to take suncream, towel, portable charger, food, water bottle. Wet wipes and talc are always a good shout. Thank you for sharing your suggestions. A great checklist.

    Lauren x

    Reply

  3. I love these checklists, I always make a checklist before going anywhere and gotta say I have all these items on my list as well!

    Reply

  4. I always have felt that going to the beach with a family is so much hassle! Sometimes it even feels like moving 😀 and still, we end up discovering that something is missing. And weirdly I have never made a checklist for each member – will try next time. Thanks!

    Reply

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