Making a list of things for the beach? Here is what to bring along……..

I've lived in California my entire life.  From the Bay Area to Santa Barbara for college, back to the Bay Area for graduate school, then Los Angeles and now….San Diego.  I've lived within 20 to 30 minutes of the beach my entire life.  I have to admit, I feel like I should take even more advantage of that.  This summer? We're visiting the beach a lot more than usual……it's great for getting out of the house and…..easy to find our own space there.

Hopefully, whether its the ocean or a lake…..you'll be getting some time around the beach this summer.  And this list? It's the things for the beach that we bring each and every time.  Trust me, they're necessities.

Things for the Beach: What to Bring

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1. Mesh Bag: Let's file this under, my mom was right.  She always brought a plastic tote basket to the beach.  The holes meant that we didn't bring sand home.  And this mesh bag? The same thing.  It's sand friendly, and easy to shake out.  We use it for all our sand toys.
2. Nesting Sand Buckets: This set is the PERFECT starter sand bucket set.  Great for all ages, and nests together so is super easy to carry.
3. Advanced Sand Castle Tools:  We just ordered this set ourselves.  It's for advanced sand castle makers, and slightly older kids.  I can't WAIT to use it!
4. Starter Sand Castle Set: Looking for a simple starter set for sand castles and molds? This is the perfect one to begin with!
5. Sunscreen Application Sponge: I know, I know.  I've been raving about this sponge for weeks.  But it's the BEST.  Makes sunscreen super easy to apply and no greasy hands!
6. Beach Sunscreen: This is our favorite beach sunscreen.  It's the kind I bring to Castaway Cay and on trips.  We started using it after our trip to Aulani, and it's the BEST.  Not greasy, lasts for hours, and isn't sticky.
7. Beach Umbrella: Now, truth be told….I always roll my eyes when Robbie wants to cart the umbrella all the way across the sand.  But, I'm always so happy we have it.
8. Sand Cloud: These towels are the BEST.  Somehow, they don't get as sandy and they roll up easily!
9. Slammo: At the risk of sounding really old…..all the teenagers play this game at our local beaches.  And Lydia is OBSESSED.
10. Beach Ball: No matter the age of your kids? They'll play a good game of beach ball.
11. Hair Ties: I always keep extra hair ties in my beach bag, better to be prepared.

What are your favorites things for the beach? What do you always pack?