Greetings from the sunshine state! Did you know that wherever you go in Florida, you’re never more than 60 miles from the nearest body of salt water aka the beach? Growing up in South Florida, I have always lived 20 minutes or less from the beach so one would think that I was raised going to the beach on a weekly basis. I do remember going to the beach but not very often. It was not until I became a teenager and could drive myself to the beach , that I really began to fall in love with the sunshine state. The beach is my happy place.
In an effort to never take where I live for granted, I promised myself that as soon as I had Hampton, I would try my best to pass along my love for the seashells, sand and sun. Now, is it easy taking little ones to the beach? Absolutely not. It takes preparation, dedication, a lot of patience and maybe even a few sand toys. Three years and dozens of beach trips in the books, I have learned what works best for our beach outings as well as what does not work.
Our short beach outings typically take place early in the morning while the tide is low so Hampton can play in the tide pools. For these trips, I try to pack as light as possible for a 1-2 hour adventure. I will pack a backpack or beach bag with 3 towels, sunscreen, change of clothes, water, snacks and beach toys.
I am rounding up my favorite beach toys, towels and more in hopes of making your next beach adventure an ocean breeze! Simply click on the product below to shop it for your next outing!
Sand Trucks & Vehicles
Hampton loves digging in the sand with trucks and making monster truck ramps using seashells. These trucks are perfect for beach day sand play!
Beach Toys On A Budget
It seems like we always start summer with a bucket of beach toys and by the time summer wraps up, we end up with a few toys missing. These fun beach toys are affordable and perfect for beach vacations!
Sand-Resistant, Quick Drying Beach Towels
I love these compact microfiber towels! They are super lightweight, easy to fold up and really do hold up very well at the beach because the sand literally falls off. Due to the microfiber quick drying material, these towels are not soft but I love using them because of how efficient they are for our beach adventures. The large towel is also super spacious so I do recommend opting for the bigger size.
*BEACH TIP- I typically take 1-2 towels out to the beach and leave one towel behind in the car for any excess sand or shells that make it back to the car with us. I find that packing minimally helps make getting out onto the sand easier as well as the cleanup aftermath when get back home.
Sandcastle Kits & Accessories
Build the most epic sandcastle with one of these fun sandcastle kits!
Mesh Beach Bags
Take the toys back home with you but leave the sand at the beach with one of these mesh beach totes.
Collapsible Beach Bucket and Shovel Set
Compact and perfect for traveling! The collapsible bucket is the way to go and this affordable pack even comes with sand shovels.
Ice Cream & Baking Sand Play
There is just something satisfying about scooping sand with an ice cream scooper. These fun toys allow little ones to use their imagination to scoop, mold and “bake” at the beach!
Sand Shovels
One of Hampton’s favorite activities is digging holes at the beach. I totally love sifting through the shells and looking for sharks teeth so it is a win-win!
Find out what’s in my pool bag by checkin out my “Practical Pool Day Packing Guide” HERE