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Florida Beach Days with a Toddler: Where to Stay Near the Sand and What's in the Beach Bag

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Florida Beach Days with a Toddler: Where to Stay Near the Sand and What's in the Beach Bag

A beach day with a toddler is mostly about shade, snacks and a short walk from the room to the sand. The closer the stay, the less you have to haul, and the easier it is to retreat when the sun is high or a nap is overdue.

This page pairs that kind of stay with the beach, sun and swim gear from the packing guides. We link hotels and other lodging only. We don't sell or link tours, tickets, water sports or activities. Hotel names and live rates aren't listed here yet; the placeholders below are for lodging links once a property has been checked on the program. Those lodging links will be manual links to a place to stay, not an auto-inserted activity or tour widget.

The packing >list builder points beach trips here.

Where to stay near the sand

Look for a room you can walk to the beach from, or a very short drive with a place to rinse off sandy feet. A fridge, a tub or a rinse shower, and space to dry swimsuits help more than a fancy lobby. If your toddler still naps, a suite or a room you can darken in the afternoon is worth asking about.

Ask about cribs, whether the beach is a walk or a shuttle (if there's a shuttle, arrange it on your own; we don't book or link it), and how sandy gear is supposed to come back into the room.

The same room kit from the park-stay page still helps on a beach trip: a travel crib Guava Lotus Travel Crib with Lightweight Backpack Design Check price at Amazon if you want your own, a portable blackout shade SUN AWAY Portable Blackout Curtain with Suction Cups Check price at Amazon, and a white-noise machine Yogasleep Rohm Portable White Noise Sound Machine Check price at Amazon.

What's in the beach bag

The full list is in the >Florida beach day packing list. The short version is shade first, then sun, then swim, then the walk back.

Shade. A pop-up beach tent WolfWise Pop Up Beach Tent, UPF 50+, 3 Person (Blue) Check price at Amazon or a beach sun shelter Kelty Cabana Shelter Check price at REI gives you a place to sit and a place for a toddler to get out of the sun. A sail-style shade Shibumi Shade Classic with Quiet Canopy (wind-powered beach shade, Wind Assist included) Check price at Amazon is a premium pick if you want to cover more ground; a beach umbrella with a sand anchor AMMSUN 7 ft Heavy Duty Beach Umbrella with Sand Anchor, Vent and Tilt, UPF 50+ (Blue) Check price at Amazon is a less expensive way to do the same job. A sand-free blanket WEKAPO Sandproof Waterproof Beach Blanket, 7x7 ft (1–3 person), Blue, with stakes Check price at Amazon keeps the sitting area usable.

If you're walking a long way from the car or the room, a beach wagon with wide wheels Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Beach Wagon Cart (Blue/Black) Check price at Amazon carries the shade, the cooler and the toys — not the toddler. Many beach wagons, including the one listed here, aren't made to carry a child, so keep your little one walking or in a carrier.

Sun. A bucket hat or neck-flap hat with a chin strap Jan & Jul 50+ UPF Cotton Bucket Sun Hat (adjustable chin strap) Check price at Amazon, water-resistant mineral sunscreen Thinkbaby Baby Sunscreen SPF 50+, Mineral Formula, Water Resistant, 3 oz Check price at Amazon, a UPF rash guard SwimZip UPF 50+ Long Sleeve Zip Rash Guard (Navy Stripe, toddler sizes) Check price at Amazon or one-piece sun suit SwimZip Girls' Long-Sleeve UPF 50+ One-Piece Sunsuit Check price at Amazon, and sunglasses Babiators Original Navigator Baby & Toddler Sunglasses, Good as Blue, Ages 0–2 (UV400) Check price at Amazon. On many toddler pairs the strap is sold separately, so check what's in the box. More in >Sun protection for toddlers in Florida.

Swim. A reusable swim diaper i play. by green sprouts Reusable Snap Swim Diaper (Navy, 24 months) Check price at Amazon and disposable swim diapers Pampers Splashers Swim Diapers, Size 4, 18 Count Check price at Amazon for the pool or the ocean, a hooded towel VOOVA Hooded Poncho Towel, 100% cotton, 1–3 years (green bar stripe) Check price at Amazon, water shoes VIFUUR Kids Water Shoes, hook-and-loop, quick-dry aqua socks (Black Circle, toddler sizes) Check price at Amazon, and a USCG-approved vest in the right weight range Body Glove Paddle Pals USCG Kids Learn-to-Swim Life Jacket PFD Check price at Amazon. Popular arm-float vests are typically rated 30–50 lb — check the label, and choose a smaller USCG-approved vest if your toddler is under that range. A vest is not a substitute for an adult within arm's reach. Details are in >Toddler swim gear.

The rest. A soft-sided cooler backpack TOURIT Cooler Backpack, insulated 30-can soft cooler Check price at Amazon, a mesh bag for sandy toys EocuSun Large Mesh Beach Bag / Drawstring Beach Toy Backpack (Blue) Check price at Amazon, a wet bag Bumkins Waterproof Wet/Dry Bag (Watercolor Floral) Check price at Amazon, and a microfiber towel Dock & Bay Beach Towel, quick-dry sand-free microfiber (Cabana) Check price at Amazon for the walk back. For heat, the same cooling-towel and fan advice from >Keeping a toddler cool still applies on the sand.

A short beach-day list

Build a custom list with the >packing list builder, or start from the >free beach checklists.