The ultimate packing list for a summer beach day in Maine with kids
Maine beaches are absolutely beautiful and I am obsessed with them all! I take my 3 kids to the beach year round and I have a lot of favorites of items that make our trips easier. I can’t say “they make a trip to the beach easy” because going to the beach with kids is never easy! My kids and I love the ocean and any day trip we take we try and find somewhere with ocean views! Below are my essentials for a summer beach trip to Maine.
Waterproof beach blanket
This is number one on my list of must haves for a summer day at the beach with kids! If you want to be close to your kids playing in the tide pools and climbing on the rocks you will have to have a waterproof blanket to put down on the wet sand at low tide. Yes- chairs work much better, and sure you could leave them up on the dry sand, but it sometimes can be far away and kids seem to need a lot of things while they are playing. I have had this blanket for over 4 years, and it has held up so well. I also have a cheaper one that just doesn’t cut it for me. This blanket is almost always placed on wet sand at low tide and we never get wet while sitting on it or leaving our bags on top of it. It also folds up nicely at the end of the day and doesn’t feel wet and heavy like some other blankets get.
A good alternative to the Pottery Barn waterproof blanket would be this one from L.L. Bean. The cheap ones aren’t worth buying!
Zippered Mesh Bag for sand toys
There are plenty of mesh bags on the market but this bag zippers fully closed and has pockets on the side to keep the water shoes or sandals and sunscreen! It is so easy to throw all the sand toys in here and shake it out after a day at the beach. Then hang the bag up when you get home and it’s ready to go for next time. We use this bag year round and it is on my packing list for off season beach trips as well!
Water shoes for your kids and yourself
This is crucial for the rocky Maine beaches! My kids have worn regular sandals and little rocks will get stuck in their shoes and then we have to stop and change their shoes out and it’s a big ordeal. I like fully closed water shoes so there’s no chance of those little rocks! I have also seen pieces of lobster traps embedded in the sand at low tide that are impossible to get out, so water shoes are so important to prevent any cuts or scrapes. The Astral water shoes I have are amazing! They give me the confidence to walk on the rocks with the kids and keep up with them. I also love Birkenstock flip flops because they have a sturdy, thick bottom that are good for walking on rocks as well. The thin flip flops I used to have in my 20s were just not cutting it once I moved to Maine and started bringing my kids to the beach.
Cooler backpack
If you bring kids to the beach then you know there is A LOT to carry! Something that has made trips a lot easier over the years is this cooler backpack. It can fit a surprising amount, like 4 water bottles, sandwiches, snacks. Then in the front pocket I put wipes, an extra diaper and sunscreen so that is all easily accessible. Digging through a big bag of towels and sand toys for wipes or sunscreen is not fun. Also it is key to put all the food and snacks in one bag that can be zipped on the top.
Last summer I made the mistake of not zipping the top closed and I went down to the water and a seagull grabbed food out of the bag. I’ve also had snacks in just a regular beach bag and had seagulls trying to get that before too. And if you go to the beach with just yourself then everything has to be closed and together so you can enjoy the time with your kids instead of worrying about birds! I have had this cooler backpack for over 7 years and I bring it to every beach trip year round, that’s how obsessed I am.
Beach bag for towels
We have had a Sea Bag for years! It can fit 3 towels and the beach blanket easily. What is so nice about it and why we continue to use it so often is it is waterproof as well! We can put everything down on the wet, low tide sand and the contents inside stay dry.
Wagon
Any type of wagon is a must for a day at the beach with kids but I love the durability of the Veer Wagon. This has sustained a lot of bumps and sand and ocean water over the last 5 years and I can’t imagine my life without it. The basket attachment for the back of the wagon is very helpful if you have the two seater wagon.
Rain Suit
If you follow me on Instagram then you know I am obsessed with the kids rain suits! There are plenty of versions of rain suits on the internet but I found one of the cheaper ones on Amazon and they are life changing. They run large, so don’t bother getting a size up to save money. When my middle was 3 1/2 years old he could still fit comfortably in the 2T. They are very thin with elastic bands over the ankles so they can fit over rain boots and stay in place. For the colder months we have a thicker rain suit that easily fits their winter coat under it and everything stays nice and dry. Once I got these I couldn’t believe I lived my life without these rain suits! An older man at the beach recently commented he liked their “uniforms” and I loved it!!
Extras we love
Besides all the essentials like sunscreen and towels, a good thing to usually have is some bug spray. I’ve found that the seaweed attracts a lot of flies and this is a good thing to have on hand.
We love our snacklebox!! It makes trips so fun. One trip I color coded the box by colors of the rainbow- I think I’m more obsessed with it than my kids! Ours has sold out but here is a great alternative!
These buckets are so cool! Also very easy to pack since they collapse. They are not good for making sand castles though with wet sand! Only good for collecting shells and rocks and holding water and sand.
We love shovels that are a little more sturdy and easy to dig with. These metal shovels are the perfect addition to your beach trip! The kids usually fight over them because they love them!
Kids get VERY sandy at the beach and especially when they play in the wet sand at low tide. If you’ve looked up beach hacks I’m sure you’ve seen how baby powder helps remove sand. I feel like it makes even more of a mess and powder got everywhere! My husband actually found these cool bags with powder in them that you just rub on the kids and the sand falls right off. They are talc-free and the smell is also amazing! They store easily in the car and I love them!
