Beach Week with a Toddler
Our car was stuffed -- here's our honest packing list
Steve’s family has been coming to Rehoboth Beach for thirty years. Every summer, the whole crew descends — cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, the works. It is a real family tradition, the kind that has its own gravity. This year was Charlie’s second time, and the first where he was truly a beach kid — running into the water, digging holes, throwing sand at seagulls, singing songs I didn’t recognize, refusing to leave.
I grew up in Los Angeles, I am a Cancer and Steve is a Leo. Summer is simply our season — so watching Charlie fall for the beach the same way we did, the waves, the water, the sand, all of it, felt genuinely nostalgic and a little sentimental in the best way. It also didn’t hurt that this is our last summer as just the three of us. I found myself watching him extra closely all week. Wanted to memorize it all.
The trip is not as simple as it once was. We are past the stage of hauling an infant’s worth of gear, but a toddler who is actively potty training and deeply opinionated about his toys comes with his own list of requirements. We stuffed our car to capacity getting there. Here’s what we actually needed versus what just took up space.
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Getting there
We drive out to Rehoboth in our car, which means our everyday car seat comes with us. But Steve’s dad has a bigger car and does a lot of the driving once we’re there, so we keep a Cosco Kids Scenera Extend convertible car seat at my in-laws’ place year-round. It’s affordable, it works, and it means we’re not shuffling one car seat between two cars all week. Genuinely one of the better logistical decisions we’ve made.
We also bring the Bugaboo Butterfly — our travel stroller. It’s compact, light, and easy to fold, and has held up beautifully to a lot of use. We added the Bugaboo cup holder for the push handle — it fits perfectly and holds our coffees and waters on morning walks without an issue.
One thing we’ve figured out after a few road trips with Charlie: timing is everything. We try to leave right after breakfast or do an early lunch around 11 and head out when he’s done eating. It’s about a four hour drive for us, and if we time it right he hits nap time in the car without being completely overtired by the time we get there. It doesn’t always go to plan, but when it does, it’s a different trip entirely.
At the beach
One thing that made this trip so much smoother than I expected was landing on a daily rhythm that actually worked for all of us. Charlie wakes up around 7, so we'd get ready for the day and either have breakfast at the house or take a quick stroll into town for coffee and a croissant. Then we'd hit the beach between 8 and 9 — early enough to get a good spot and beat the heat, and early enough that Charlie still had energy to actually play. We'd stay until about 11 or 12, head back to the house for lunch and a quick bath (sand everywhere, every time), and put him down for a nap. Once he was up, we'd head to the boardwalk — rides, games, walking around — and then dinner around 5. It sounds simple, but having that structure made the week feel genuinely relaxed instead of chaotic. Toddlers do better with a rhythm, and honestly so do I.
As for what we brought: the foldable beach chair with snack tray and cup holder was an amazing find. Every adult at the beach has their own chair, and Charlie is no different — he loves having a spot that is his. He sits in it, arranges his snacks, and settles in like he owns the place. The tray keeps everything within reach, which means I am not being asked to hold seventeen things at once. We also have our navy striped wagon for getting everything from the house to the beach without four trips. Between these two things, the logistics of actually getting to and from the water became so much easier.
For sun protection: we use Babo Botanicals Sensitive Baby Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 on his body — it’s fragrance-free, EWG verified, and genuinely great for sensitive skin — and the Mustela SPF face stick for his face. He also wears a sun hat all day, every day. It has a strap under the chin that keeps it on through wind and running and everything else — it has never once fallen off, which if you have a toddler you know is not a given. We also bring an SPF bamboo blanket for shade when we need it.
For toys: the classic pail, shovel, and bucket set — because some things are essential — and this set with trucks, construction vehicles, and dinosaurs, which Charlie was completely obsessed with. We also packed a toddler wiffel ball and a toss and catch kit for more entertainment. With a two-year-old at the beach, you are not sitting still — this is just more for him to rotate through.
We also brought his clip-on stroller fan, which works just as well clipped to the wagon or beach chair as it does on the stroller. On the hottest days it was a genuine lifesaver.
After the water: the H&M hooded shark towel, which Charlie refuses to take off. I fully support this. And Teva sandals — velcro, easy on and off, he can do them himself. Done.
For snacks and lunch: a soft-sided lunch box and reusable ice packs to keep everything cold. His Owala water bottle makes the trip every time — it’s stainless so his water stays cool even on the hottest day. Wet bags for sandy suits and wet towels on the way home.
Toys and dinners out
Charlie is deep in a Cars and trucks phase right now — if it has wheels, he is obsessed with it. We packed his favorite Pixar Cars mini cars, a set of toy trucks, and these jeeps that he calls “beach cars,” which felt very appropriate for the week. We also brought the Fat Brain Toys InnyBin shape sorter, which is a great quieter option when we needed him to sit still for five minutes.
We got lucky with dinners — almost every restaurant had a kids menu with crayons, and Charlie is really into coloring right now, so between that and his cars he was genuinely happy at the table. Toddler dinner success is about having enough rotation to keep them interested, and this mix covered us every night. That and 5pm reservations — don’t knock it until you try it.
Some of our (new) favorite summer staples
I may have used the beach trip as an excuse to pick up a few new things for Charlie’s summer wardrobe. No regrets — summer dressing for a two-year-old is genuinely one of my favorite things. Small seersucker. Tiny swim trunks. A Polo Bear hat. I can’t help myself.
We loved H&M and Ricki Beach Club for swim trunks this trip — a few pairs that he rotated through all week. He always has a Burt’s Bees white sun shirt on at the beach — it matches with everything and adds an extra layer of coverage without any fuss. The printed swim set (rashguard + shorts) is great for longer beach stretches when I want more sun coverage without a negotiation.
Some newer finds that I was too excited about not to share: the crochet beach set — stripes and crochet, say less — and a Zara lobster shirt, because obviously. I also picked up some elevated shorts in the best prints — a fishy pattern and a gingham that are going to get so much use this summer. And these striped balloon pants, which are as good as they sound. We were in Delaware, but he is still an NYC baby — so naturally the Knicks Finals t-shirt made the trip. This matching seersucker shorts and resort shirt set were an instant favorite — he looks polished enough for dinner but still completely like a kid on a beach vacation, which is exactly the right energy. The Jurassic World two-piece set was a big hit too, because dinosaurs are currently his second personality, after cars of course.
A few things that live in his closet year-round and made the trip: the Polo Ralph Lauren Polo Bear cap, which he wears constantly, and the rag & bone Mini Miramar trucker jacket for mornings and evenings when there’s a breeze off the water.
At the house
Charlie had his own room this trip, so technically he didn’t need it — but we still brought the SlumberPod and used it during naps when his room was too bright. It creates a dark, enclosed sleep space wherever we are and has made such a difference in how well he sleeps away from home that I won’t travel without it. The Guava Lotus Pack n Play goes everywhere with us too — it folds down small, sets up fast, and Charlie has always slept well in it. We also bring a travel mattress because the one that comes with the crib is fine, but this is noticeably more comfortable.
We are in the middle of potty training, which adds a whole layer to traveling. We brought two options: a portable potty that comes with us everywhere — restaurants, errands, anywhere he might need to go on the spot — and a standalone potty that stayed at the house. Having both meant we were never scrambling. We also packed a tension baby gate for the bottom of the stairs, which gave us a lot more peace of mind in an unfamiliar space.
The list grows every year. Charlie grows every year. Last summer he was unsteady on his feet and needed to be carried everywhere; this summer he ran ahead of us and we were the ones trying to keep up. The gear matters, but honestly it's just the backdrop. The main event is watching him fall completely in love with the beach — and already knowing he'll want to come back.
Shop everything in this post here: shopmy.us/collections/5905953 (And yes, I may have snuck a few of my own favorite summer finds because moms deserve new stuff too — especially pregnant ones).