A week ago we took our first long vacation with our 17 month old daughter, Josie. It was an incredible trip to the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama. We’d never traveled there in the past, so the whole experience was completely new to us. Sure, we’d traveled to other beaches in Florida or South Carolina, but this one was unfamiliar to us.

So, on top of researching all the necessities for a beach trip with a toddler, we were also researching what to do. I spent literal weeks trying to figure out what would be worth doing and what beach items we really needed. I probably looked at 15-20 mom blogs with posts similar to this one and decided I’d make my own. The best part? Just about everything we purchased for the trip we bought through Amazon – can you say “FREE 2-day Shipping?” My goal here is to help save you time and money – while decreasing some of that planning stress. We’ll start with packing essentials/what to buy first before venturing into Part 2. So, let’s dive in!

What to Purchase:

Beach Blanket

This might be an obvious one, but it is a must! We bought this huge (10 feet by 9.2 feet) sand-proof beach blanket for our trip that comes with 4 stakes to keep it down when the wind kicks in. It’s perfect if you have littles that don’t like the sand, or if you have babies that are still in the crawling stage. The smooth texture of the blanket helps to keep the sand off – and any sand that does make its way onto the blanket can be swept off quickly with a brush of your hand.

If you’re curious just how big this blanket is, let me paint a picture for you; my husband, my parents, my daughter, and myself all fit on this blanket very comfortably. We even had our bags on the blanket to keep them off the sand. As of the date I’m creating this post, the blanket comes in 7 colors and is only $14.99 on Amazon! It was so worth the purchase and we will definitely be storing for our next beach vacation!

Sand-Off Mitts

Before researching, I had no idea these even existed. I’d seen a baby powder hack for getting sand off little ones before, but that still seemed messy to me. This was a great alternative. These little mitts slide right onto your hands and are super easy to use. We swiped away any sand in just one swipe per area. They’re about 8 inches long and they come in a 2-pack for just $10. When the package comes in, there is a little slip of paper that says each mitt is good for at least 50 uses. I can’t say I used them 50 times, but they still look brand new to me.

Wet/Dry Bag

If you’re using a public beach with restrooms/changing stations/outdoor showers, this is a great item to have on hand. These waterproof bags help keep your wet and dry clothes separate. It’s also a great thing to have for littles if any accidents happen, too! We actually tried two out and both worked just fine, but they came in two different sizes. If you prefer a smaller option to save on space, this one would be best for you (more durable, $19.99). If you have a larger family, this would probably work better for you ($13.99)!

Water Shoes

If your littles are walking, this is a must-have! Walking in the sand isn’t easy for anyone, but especially toddlers who are still figuring this 2-legged thing out. I truly believe these shoes helped our daughter get around on the beach much easier. She didn’t sink in the loose sand as much due to the firm shoe bottom. On the firmer, wet sand, she could pick up her pace and run around a bit; she even stood in the water as the waves rolled in! I also think this shoe could help some if there were sensory issues due to the sand/cleanliness. Our daughter doesn’t like being dirty and immediately wants us to wash her hands/feet if something weird/gross gets on her. She still felt some sand on her feet, but I think this minimized that, somewhat. Once she started playing in the sand with her beach toys, she forgot all about it!

This brand is around $14 and comes in various colors and sizes. It does run true to size. My daughter wore the 4-5 size and she normally wears a 4 or 5 in stores.

Sport-Brella Beach Umbrella

This may be my favorite beach purchase! This is a huge beach umbrella that has two flaps (one on either side) to stake it down and secure it to the ground. This means that the umbrella lays on its side a bit, but it’s such a good size, you don’t lose any shade coverage. There are 4 heavy duty stakes for the beach and 4 normal stakes for normal outdoor experiences, like the park or your backyard. There are also two pockets on the flaps that you can pour sand into to help weigh it down on gusty days or they can serve as storage for mobile devices, snacks, etc. They even have “windows” where there is a mesh lining that’s revealed when you unzip the area (to help feel those summer breezes).

I will say that due to the umbrella being on its side, if you plan to use a beach blanket like we did, there will be some surface area close to the umbrella that isn’t able to be covered. We didn’t mind this as it served as a shaded sandy spot for our little to play – and over half of our beach blanket was still shaded. If you wanted to put a towel down – or even make a small hole in the beach blanket to avoid this, you certainly could. We just opted not to.

This was a more expensive purchase, but so worth it! The umbrella comes in 3 different colors and is priced at $63.99 for the prime option. There are other less expensive options if you’re not in a rush for shipping.

Portable Fans

These fans were so nice to have for the whole trip in general. No matter where we were, we had a way to cool our little one off. These fans do not require batteries; simply charge them up on their usb cables and you’re good to go! They have flexible arms so you can wrap them around your stroller or umbrella. You can stand them up on their own, too! This 2-pack will cost you $29.99 for 1 pink and 1 blue colored fan.

2 Piece Rashguard

If your son or daughter is fair-skinned, I definitely recommend using a rashguard option. Its long sleeves will cover baby’s arms and help prevent any sunburns! The two-piece option is great because it offers flexibility for toddler size. Our daughter is pretty petite, but she has a cute chubby tummy that can make finding one pieces difficult. They’re either way too long on the sleeves or too tight on her stomach. The two piece option solves that problem.

This swimsuit’s bottoms also serve as a swim diaper, so you won’t need to put a disposable swim diaper on unless you want to. They don’t adjust much for size, though. So make sure you order the right fit for your kiddo! This one is $40 – a little pricey, but it’s quality material, which you want to invest in so it holds up at the beach!

Swimsuit for Mom

I had to include this because sometimes as moms, we don’t always splurge on ourselves! We’re busy making sure everyone has what they need, but you need to feel cute and comfortable on the beach too! I purchased this one on Amazon and loved it! It has tummy control bottoms for any moms out there with a baby pooch (I know I have one!). The top has adjustable straps so you can fit it to your liking. Though we’re past the nursing stage, this would be a top you could nurse in easily because of those adjustable straps and the ability to nurse while keeping one side covered.

It comes in several color choices – I went with the cheetah print – and is only $27.99 for the whole set. It runs true to size as well. I am about 5’1″ and weigh around 130 lbs (curvy) and the medium was perfect for me.

Beach Bag w/ Cooler Bottom

This beach bag was so nice to have. It carried just about all of our beach supplies (excluding our umbrella and spare clothes). The cooler in the bottom would be perfect for keeping drinks/snacks cold – keeping in mind that you might need to buy mini bottled waters/sodas to fit them. We didn’t end up using the cooler portion much for our trip, but we also prioritize eating out at new places when we vacation, so we don’t need many snacks to keep us held over.

The beach bag is about the size of two diaper bags, has exterior pockets, and a mesh lining to keep sand from collecting in the bag. The cooler portion does unzip from the rest of the bag, too, if you choose not to use it. The bag was $32.88 for the LARGE black and white option.

Microfiber Beach Towel Set

These towels are both so cute and so functional. Most of us clean with microfiber towels, so we know how absorbent they are. The idea of making a beach towel version? Genius!

This set comes with 4 towels, each in different colors. They come with 4 individual black mesh bags to make transporting these towels super easy. Since they roll up into super small cylinders, it saves space, too!

These were priced at $45 for the large option. But, they were great to have, as they were very absorbent, easy to pack up and easy to wash! You can also buy them individually if you don’t need all 4!

Travel First Aid Kit

I don’t know why, but something about having this handy during our trip made me feel incredibly prepared. It comes with all kinds of bandages, ointments, antibacterial wipes, safety pins, gauze, you name it! This just gave me peace of mind for whatever may have come up – it felt good to be prepared! Plus it’s incredibly cute and portable – and only $20!

Travel Nail Kit

This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the first aid kit, but it was nice to have this with us. The kit comes with all sorts of nail tools like scissors, clippers, nail file, cuticle pusher, etc. The scissors came in handy more than once while we were out and about. Both kits were in my diaper bag at all times just in case we needed them! This one might be a bit extra, but it was worth it for us! I found one in pink for only $9!

Sunscreen

This one is obvious, too! But we had a great experience with both of these brands and it seemed worth sharing! Not one of us came home with a sunburn on our trip. The first brand is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Water Resistant and Non-Greasy Sunscreen Lotion with Broad Spectrum SPF 100+. We used this for our faces as our family as pretty sensitive skin. One tube costs $9. It goes on smoothly and doesn’t feel heavy – but still protects from the sun!

The other brand was also Neutrogena, funnily enough, but it was the spray variety. The great thing about this option is that it’s easy to use, doesn’t require you to rub it in on a squirmy toddler, and you can apply directly to wet skin! A 2-pack was $16. You can also buy the two different kinds together in a bundle for $25.

Bean Bag Beach Game

This little portable game was so much fun for Josie! This was a great option when playing in the sand just wasn’t cutting it. It takes 2 seconds to put together and tear down and the whole family enjoyed playing. It comes with its own carrying case so it’s easy to pack up or carry with you. I packed this as a back-up option in case our daughter didn’t like the sand, and would recommend it to anyone else looking for some fun beach game alternatives! It was $25 and we will probably set it up to use it in our backyard for some fun fall festivities!

All Terrain Stroller Wagon – Splurge!

The Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon was a must-have during this trip! It worked so well on the sand and helped carry extra beach bags. We used this thing everywhere – the beach, the zoo, the Wharf, etc. We loved it because you can use it as both a stroller and a wagon. The handle converts so you can push/pull, extend/retract as you see fit. There are two canopies and two places for littles to sit. Since we just have one for now, we used the other side as storage for the diaper bag or shopping bags or beach bags. It’s a little pricey, but we knew we would use it for so much more than just the beach. It’s $370 for the prime option, but comes in 3 different colors and price points if you’re not in a rush. I seriously can’t say enough how much we loved this!

Diaper Bag – Bonus

Before going on our trip, our original diaper bag bit the dust. It served us well for 17 months, but it had enough I suppose. So I went searching for a new one. This diaper bag was amazing to have on our vacation. It has a leather exterior, waterproof changing pad, adorable interior coloring, tons of pockets, pouches and clip-on adjustments/handles. If you find yourself looking for a new one before your trip, I highly recommend this one! It even has an attachment to clip your keys onto so you won’t lose them in the bottom of the bag! It comes in brown leather or black leather. It’ll cost you about $70, but it’s well worth the price and looks like it costs so much more!

Stay Tuned!

Alright, I think that’s all for Part 1! Stay tuned for Part 2, where I’ll share my packing list for our first vacation with our toddler, as well as a few other purchases we made for pool and travel necessities!