All You Need for a Beach Day as a Mom Going Solo with a Baby + Toddler

A minimalist beach set up for “bagless” beach days with kids- the art and science of having enough stuff to keep a toddler busy and baby happy on the beach, but not more than mom can carry solo.

My goal before peak summer hits: work out all the kinks in getting on/ off the beach safely and smoothly with my baby and toddler when I am solo parenting at the beach.

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My Pack-Light Beach Packing List:

Here’s how we are doing the beach (at least for now).

Book bag beach chair with double pockets, stuffed to the max, on my back.

(You can find the chair here.)

Everything inside:

Packed lunch: Usually PB & J, pasta salads, or cut chicken + fruit and cheese.
Snacks: I aim to double the amount of snacks we would need at home, because we go through the snacks in the sun. Crackers, apples, raisins, or a frozen smoothie packed in a reusable Palmetto Pouch for extra hydration – (Use code hope_james to save 20% through my affiliate link.)
Quick dry beach towels: These save a ton of space and weight. They are not my absolute favorite to dry off with, but get the job done well enough. Plus, the sand just slides off of them, which is more important than anything when beaching with a toddler honestly. If I take a regular towel, I fold it and snap the towel into the seat of my closed chair before carrying on my back.
My phone, probably on 6% battery… My father in law even gifted me a portable battery charger, but lets be honest- chances are I have not recharged it either.
Minimal sand toys: Listen, I promise that you do not have the carry the jumbo bucket of toys. Our ice cream set is a favorite, but often it’s just 3-4 small castle cups and 1-2 hand tools.
Sun shirts: I aim to minimize sunscreen, but still protect my skin. If I’m not in the water, I often have on one of these. I like to size up for a loser fit.
Hats for everyone: Ball cap for me. Wide brim hats for the girls. We are on summer 3 with this one because the brim actually stays up after a turn in the washing machine.
Mineral Sunscreen: I have tried a few, but this is my current favorite.
Beach Playmat: Well, it is our catch all craft/ picnic/ all the messy things and on the go playmat.
Zip Bag with diapers & wipes: I stash 2-3 diapers and a small pack of wipes in the medium sized re-usable zip bags (because I use these for literally everything).

Beach shade on my shoulder.

I have raved about my old beach tent every summer, but switched to a new shade this summer for an easier solo beach set up. I have got to say, this was a game changer. It can be a little tricky to screw into the sand, but I figured out how to put my weight over it and leverage the pop out handles. The new shade honestly cuts my set up time in half, never blows over, and is significantly quieter than my other tent.

Baby strapped to my front in a baby carrier.

I keep Little Sis in the carrier until the chair and tent are set up and Big Sis is settled. On the way out, I start with putting this on first.

Holding hands.

This set up gives me 2 free hands, so I can keep 1 on each girlie as we cross the street to the beach. In the parking lot, I have been teaching Big Sis to put 1 hand on the gas pump door as soon as we reach the car.

Related posts: Read my top 10 tips for taking babies to the beach confidently.

Extras in the car.

Anything we might need a refresh of as we head out, but do not actually need on the beach, stays in the car.

Water to refill water bottles.
Easy to put on dry clothes: I’m a big fan of t-shirt dresses for the girls for the ride home. I take their arms out of the bathing suits, pull over their heads, then can take off the wet suit while keeping everything covered.
Snack for the ride home: 50/50 if this ends up in the car, but on a good day, a fruit bar or snap peas for the ride home.