Family beach holiday packing list

With children at the beach, sun protection is most of the job — and a UV swimsuit does more of it than any amount of chasing a wet child with a sunscreen bottle.

75 items · 7-day beach holiday, hot and dry weather, with a checked bag, travelling with kids · tick them off, print, or adjust the list to your trip below

Cover them with fabric, not just cream

A long-sleeved UV swimsuit blocks sun continuously without needing reapplication every eighty minutes to a child who is in the sea. Sunscreen still goes on faces, hands and feet, but the surface area you're responsible for drops enormously. Add a wide-brimmed hat with a chin strap, because the ones without get lost on day one.

Bring your own shade

Most beaches have none, and hiring a parasol isn't always possible. A pop-up beach tent gives a baby somewhere to nap and everyone else somewhere to retreat at midday, when the UV index peaks and small children stop enjoying themselves. It's bulky and it is consistently the item families say they'd bring again.

Sand and water need a logistics answer

A wet bag for swimwear keeps the rest of the beach bag dry and the hire car survivable. Baby powder is the standard trick for getting sand off skin — it dries the moisture the sand is clinging to and it brushes straight off. Bring more towels than seems reasonable; they're never dry when you need the next one.

Medication, dosing and the travel day

Children's paracetamol and ibuprofen dose by weight, and formulations differ between countries — bring what you already know how to use, plus a thermometer. For the flight, pack a change of clothes per child in the cabin bag and a spare top for whichever adult is holding them. Downloaded shows, not streamed ones.

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Each one is a full list with advice specific to that trip — and the generator underneath it, so you can adjust it to yours.

Family beach holiday packing list

Cover them with fabric, not just cream

Bring your own shade

Sand and water need a logistics answer

Medication, dosing and the travel day

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