A Malibu Beach Day Packing List
Updated: Aug 14
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A Malibu beach day sounds casual until I am packing for hours away from bottle warmers, nearby hands-free Diaper Genies, and that obscure unfindable toy the kids suddenly remember they "need" after three years of never playing with it.
The version that works for us is edited, but hardy. I want everything to blend beautifully and comfortably into the background while the kids get on with actually playing, so I can easily capture a memory that looks as good as the day felt. One that focuses on their smiles and not the bright red broken plastic sand bucket we didn't want to have to buy from the gas station.
Start with shade that looks intentional
The AMMSUN fringe umbrella and tan seersucker stripe fringe umbrella make the setup feel posh—in a fun way. They say we may be here for only a short time, but we intend to have a properly good time. I anchor them securely and close them when the wind starts making its own plans. Beyond that, I love the mini-vacation feeling they give the whole setup when it would otherwise be a random collection of mismatched plastic things slowly getting covered in sand.
The Pivoryla Baby Beach Tent gives the tiniest person a defined shaded spot away from some of the sun, bugs, blowing sand, and general foot traffic while still including them being in the day. It also pops up and folds down quickly, which is exactly the amount of beach engineering I am willing to do.
The carrying system is the whole mood
A beach setup is only as good as its exit strategy. The beach wagon carries the bulk of things. The four-person picnic basket hand or shoulder strap gathers every conceivable lunch “tool" as well as a few insulated items not meant for the larger cooler and useful on smaller trips. The fringed backpack beach chair further leaves my hands available for the child or abandoned sandal that refuses to stay on a foot. The backpack chairs not only have phone and cupholders, as well as fully recline, but they even give each person a place to store their own dry snacks, small toy, spare (or later wet) clothes and towel. This way we are ready for this beach day and can easily pack back up from the day right into the next beach adventure.
Towels, blanket and the soft landing
I use the cabana towels for cooler beach days or a deep dry-off, quick-dry neutral towels for lighter packing and fast reuse—because kids seem compelled to use every towel, regardless of how many I pack—and a beige beach blanket for multitasking needs like feeding, changing, laying out snacks, dining, card games, sunbathing or pretending for six minutes that sand in some places is not inevitable. That being said, the beach wagon's built-in optional tabletop at least allows us to pretend the crackers have a fighting chance.
The children need a small system too
The sand-and-water toy set and mushie silicone watering can give the children a focused fun and safe activity close to the setup. I like neutral pieces that become the backdrop to their enjoyment rather than a visual emergency, so loud it can be seen from another beach. They also blend effortlessly into the sand and sea scenary along with every other item we packed, so I can truly relax on all fronts whether it be safety, enjoyment or snapping that daily photo to send off to the grandparents without a herculean effort.
The girls’ seersucker swimsuit and boys’ seersucker swimsuit keep the clothing edit classic across the board with their unisex white terry throw overs and optional warming white leggings helping avoid cries of unfairness alongside the similarly unisex children’s boat shoes that help with the hot-sand-to-car transition. All of these pieces provide protection from the days elements, convert to the weather, clean simply and easy enough for the kids to manage themselves but still look nice wherever we go next. The point is not to style the beach into submission. It is to make the day’s actual triumphs and tribulations easier while ensuring the photographic mementos are effortlessly timeless.
