19 must-have products for taking your little ones to the beach

First and foremost, sun protection! There are tons of great babe-friendly formulas out there, but Sun Bum’s Baby Bum is always a favorite. It’s unscented, super gentle for sensitive skin and the addition of coconut oil and shea and cocoa butters make it moisturizing as well. Since it’s zinc based, it does leave a bit of a white cast but it’s not too ghost-like!

Super easy to wipe clean and perfect for setting up a sand-free spot on the beach, these oversize blankets have countless other uses when you’re not spending the day at the sea. They’re incredibly compact and lightweight–a bonus when you’re likely bogged down with 400 pounds of other stuff! And don’t worry about fighting the wind. They’ve got four loops and ground stakes to keep them in place.

A sun bonnet is a must-have for your day at the beach, and this one from iPlay by Green Sprouts is perfect for not only keeping the sun out of baby’s eyes but offers 50+ UPF protection and comes in tons of great colors. (Looking for more choices? Check out our round-up of the best sun hats for babies and toddlers!)

If you’re looking for a one-stop shop, the Hape beach toy essential set is it. Not only does it include 11 high-quality BPA-free sand toys, but they’re all conveniently packed up in a mesh backpack that even a toddler can carry. (And if you need more, check out our sand toy round-up!)

Or, if you’ve already amassed a crapload of beach toys, this is the bag you’ll want to corral them all. It opens up super wide to make loading and unloading a breeze while leaving the sand on the beach where it belongs.

Worried about what will happen if you hand your toddler a pair of sunglasses? With these shatter-resistant + ultra-flexible frames from Weefarers, you won’t have to. They’re not only great at keeping your little one’s eyes safe from the sun’s harmful rays, but they’re virtually impossible to break. (We know, we tried!)

Finding a shady spot for baby is key to a great day at the beach, but we’d be lying if we said we hadn’t struggled with finding a beach tent that doesn’t require an engineering degree to set up. Until we found this cabana—it’s light, easy to carry, and 100% foolproof. (Check out more options in our beach tent round up!)

An Amazon #1 Best Seller and dubbed “the best $35 you’ll spend this summer” by Motherly’s Trending News Editor, it’s safe to say the hiccapop OmniBoost has fans. And even though this is technically a portable high chair, the foldable camp chair-esque design makes beach days with babes so much easier! (If you’ve ever tried to keep snacks and sand separate, you know the struggle!)

It’s got a wide, stable base that makes it perfect for use at the beach or on grass–or even grandma’s living room floor. In addition, it comes equipped with straps to secure it to a chair and use at the table. The fabric is washable, it sets up in seconds, and it’s easy-peasy to clean.

Smyrna’s line of easy-breezy Turkish towels are exactly what you want to bring to the beach with you this summer. Woven from Turkish cotton, the towels are super soft but also dry fast and take up far less space than standard towels.

You know what will set off a baby tantrum fast? Sun-warmed water in their sippy cup. Keep a stash of icy cold H20 for the whole family in Hydroflask’s non-toxic BPA-free 40-ounce water bottle, which keeps liquids cold for 24 hours. (And if you’re looking for a bottle that’s all theirs, these are our favorite stainless steel water bottles for little ones.)

Feeling like you want to transport your fridge to the shoreline… just in case? We hear you, babies are demanding and fickle—sometimes they want grapes, sometimes they want yogurt, sometimes they want cheese sticks! Be armed with all of the possibilities by bringing Yeti’s Tundra Haul cooler to the beach with you. Yeti is the granddaddy of luxe coolers and this newest version has two ultra-tough, puncture-proof wheels that can take on sand, rocky terrains, rugged trails and more—all while keeping up to 45 cans of beer (er, juice boxes and bottles) or 55 pounds of ice at freezer-esque temps.

Even if it fit all your gear, your average stroller isn’t cut out for sand travel. On the contrary, here’s where many stroller wagons shine! Throw your towels, totes, buckets—and, oh yeah, your babes!—in here and your trip from the car to the sand will be smooth sailing. Bonus: The canopy has a UPF of 50, so nap time is made in the shade.

If wrangling your little one into a towel doesn’t sound like a fun way to spend your beach day, a hooded poncho is the perfect solution. These bamboo and cotton beauties are ultra-soft, ultra-absorbent, and quick-drying, so your littles will be warm in no time.

When you go to beach with baby, you’re not likely to spend much time sunbathing. But you still need a superior sunscreen to protect you from the harsh rays and La Roche Posay’s Anthelios Melt-In Sunscreen Milk is one of the safest on the market. With an SPF 60, it consistently racks up a perfect score from Consumer Reports, comes highly recommended by dermatologists, and best of all can be used on your entire body–face included. No need to carry two different formulas!

Although disposable swim diapers are certainly an option, reusable ones are arguably the better bet for both the environment and for your wallet. (They’re pretty darn cute, too.) This one from the basics masters at Primary features snug-fitting legs to prevent leaks and comes in an assortment of great colors.

That said, sometimes you’ve got to go the disposable route. After all, few things are less fun than scraping poop out of a sandy wet diaper. Huggies Little Swimmers are a go-to when you want to keep leaks under wraps and avoid a 75 pound waterlogged bum. They’ve got a convenient resealable side and are totally fragrance and paraben free!

Wet bags are perfect for storing drenched, sandy bathing suits, but they’re also great for containing snacks, packing an extra set of clothes, or more. We like to have a few in our beach bag for whatever the day may bring! This version has two compartments one for wet and one to keep dry things safely tucked inside as well.

#Momhack alert: Rubbing sandy skin with baby powder is an easy, effective way to remove sand from your skin! We always stash a bottle in our bag for a day at the beach, especially when there are sand-loving littles in tow.