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Beach Vacation Checklist

Updated on June 3, 2013

We Are Excited About Vacation!

We Are Excited About Vacation!
We Are Excited About Vacation! | Source

Our Master Vacation Check List Has Ten Categories

  • Critical Items
  • Emergency/Medical
  • Electronics
  • Car
  • Baby/Toddlers
  • Children
  • Adults
  • Food/Kitchen
  • Beach
  • House

Our vacation packing is underway. The beach house rental has been paid in full. Hotels for the car ride down have been booked. Ideas for the entertainment for the road trip have been created. The kids are psyched. Regardless of

  • When you vacation
  • Why you are vacationing
  • Where you are going
  • How long you are vacationing for

vacation check lists make the packing process much smoother.

Using Microsoft Excel, I maintain a master vacation spreadsheet for our vacation check list. I copy and paste the main vacation tab into a new tab when packing for a new trip. I delete items that are not pertinent. While heavy jackets are on our master list, we would omit them on our beach vacation check list.

Maintenance of our vacation check list is ongoing. While on vacation or during packing, if when we think of new items, we add them to the master vacation tab.

Consider using our check list as an excellent starting point. Try highlighting our checklists below, copying and pasting into your own Excel spreadsheet. Add or subtract items to suit your family.

Critical Items

There are critical items that are on our vacation check list. Without them, the vacation may not happen! While this list is not completely applicable to our beach vacation, I include our full version from our master vacation check list due to their importance.

Critical Vacation Check List Items

Critical Items
Packed Or Completed?
Boarding Passes
 
Credit Cards/Cash
 
Itinerary
 
Maps
 
Medical Insurance Cards
 
Passports
 
Tickets
 

Emergency and Medical Items

You never know what will happen on vacation. We have had everything from major sunburn to bug bites. Last year my son had about seven splinters from a shoeless slide on a wooden deck. This year we are packing tweezers!

We always pack medicine just in case. Better to be prepared than endure a late night medicine run in an unfamiliar area.

Emergency and Medical Check List Items

Emergency/Medical Items
Packed Or Completed?
Advil/Tylenol
 
Aloe Vera
 
Band Aids
 
Chidren's Advil/Tylenol
 
First Aid Kit
 
Insect Repellant
 
Neosporin
 
Prescriptions and other medications
 
Tweezers
 
Vitamins
 

Electronics Items

We use our electronics in the car and for down time at the beach house. In addition to movies, sometimes we play Wii in the car. We always set up the Wii at the beach house.

We know that our beach house has a DVD player attached to every television. If yours does not, consider bringing your own for a family movie night.

Electronics Check List Items

Electronics Items
Packed Or Completed?
Camera And Charger
 
Cell Phone and charger
 
DS and charger
 
DVDs
 
DVD/Blu Ray Player
 
GPS
 
Headphones
 
Ipad Adapter
 
Ipad and charger
 
Ipod and charger
 
Portable Dvd Player
 
Wii And All Components
 

Do You Use A Packing Check List For Vacation?

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Car Items

To prevent excessive stops, we pack plenty of snacks, fruit, drinks and entertainment for the road trip. I always pack Windex and paper towels. Sometimes the DVD the kids want to watch next is dirty and won't play in the DVD player. It is great to be able to quickly clean it and get the show started.

Never forget bags for trash. We keep a few from our local grocery store and each time we need to fuel up, we empty the trash. Collecting the trash as we go makes the disposable process quick and clean!

Car Check List Items

Car Items
Packed Or Completed?
Drinks
 
Fruit
 
Paper Towels
 
Pillows
 
Reading Material
 
Sandwiches
 
Snacks
 
Trashbags
 
Water
 
Windex
 
Ziploc bags
 

Baby/Toddler Items

We don't have any baby items this year, but one year we packed four pack n plays! This year we will only need the bed rail for our two year old. Baby items take up quite a bit of space. Babies and toddlers do not adjust well to change. Sometimes bringing their exersaucer or bouncy chair will keep them happy and allow others to enjoy their vacation.

Never forget to bring their 'comfort' toy or blanket. More importantly, don't forget to bring it home!

Baby/Toddler Check List Items

Baby/Toddler Items
Packed Or Completed?
Baby Bjorn/carrier
 
Bed Rail
 
Boppy
 
Bottles
 
Church Outfit
 
Diapers
 
Dresses
 
Exersaucer
 
Favorite Toy/Blanket
 
Formula
 
Hat
 
Jacket/Sweatshirt
 
Pacifer
 
Pack N Play
 
Pjs
 
Shorts
 
Sippy Cups
 
Stroller
 
Swim Suit
 
T Shirts
 
Wipes
 

The Kids Are Ready For Vacation!

We are getting ready for vacation!
We are getting ready for vacation! | Source

Children's Items

The children's check list is very straight forward. For our beach trip, they need to have clothes to swim and play on the beach. We always pack at least one sweat shirt and one long pair of pants. Sometimes we will have a cool day. More often we have an over air conditioned beach house. The heat of the beach can be a sharp contrast to an air conditioned house. My kids often have chattering teeth inside the beach house and beg for their sweatshirt. They smile when they see that theirs were packed.

We also pack coloring books and other craft items. The kids love the beach, but everyone needs an hour or so away from the sun. These items keep the kids busy and entertained.

Children's Check List Items

Children's Items
Packed Or Completed?
Beach Shoes
 
Church Outfit
 
Craft items (paper, crayons)
 
Gym Shoes
 
Hats
 
Long Pants/Jeans
 
PJs
 
Shorts
 
Socks
 
Sunglasses
 
Sweatshirts/Jacket
 
Swimsuits
 
T Shirts
 
Tank Tops
 
Underwear
 

Adult Items

We pack many of the same items as the children. I never forget my sweatshirt either! We also must remember the bathroom toiletries. I wear contacts and glasses. These are very important to bring along. I like to run on the beach and take morning walks with my family. I never forget my running shoes and my work out clothes. I also make sure that my husband never forgets his baseball hats. He is bald and his head will fry quickly!

Adult Check List Items

Adult Items
Packed Or Completed?
Beach Shoes
 
Church Outfit
 
Contacts and solution
 
Eyeglasses and case
 
Gym Shoes
 
Hats
 
Lotion
 
PJs/Night Clothes
 
Shorts
 
Socks
 
Sunglasses
 
Sweatshirts/Jacket
 
Swimsuits
 
Tank Tops
 
Toiletries
 
T-Shirts
 
Underwear
 
Work out clothes/Heart Rate Monitor
 

Beach Items

The whole point of a beach vacation is to have an amazing time in the sand. We always bring our beach toys, chairs and a beach tent. We like to have fun in the sun, but creating some shade to give ourselves a break from the sun is important, too.

Our group likes to play baseball and corn hole. Don't forget to bring games your children enjoy. On cooler days, we may not be in the ocean, but we will be playing on the beach.

Beach Check List Items

Beach Items
Packed Or Completed?
Baby Shampoo
 
Baseball Bat
 
Baseball Glove
 
Beach Bag
 
Beach Blanket
 
Beach Chairs
 
Beach Cooler
 
Beach Games
 
Beach Towels
 
Beach Umbrella
 
Blow Up Pool
 
Boogy Boards
 
Cornhole
 
Kid's Floatation Devices Or Noodles
 
Kite
 
Lip Balm With SPF
 
Sand Toys
 
Sun Screen
 
Tent
 

Food And Kitchen Items

Our beach house is equipped with a gourmet kitchen. To save money, we eat nearly every meal at the beach house. I pack non perishables that I have on hand and then make grocery trips on vacation. We like to pack the spices and grilling tools we need for our evening meals.

Because we make our dinners, we end up with leftovers. It is a good idea to bring Tupperware or Ziploc bags, to store your extras. One of our last days of vacation ends up being a meal of our weekly leftovers.

Food And Kitchen Check List Items

Food/Kitchen Items
Packed Or Completed?
Cooking spray
 
Grilling tools
 
Matches
 
Non Perishables (mac n cheese, cereal)
 
Paper towels
 
Scissors
 
Spices
 
Sponge/wash cloth
 
Tupperware
 
Vegetable grill pan
 
Ziploc bags
 

How To Stop The Columbus Dispatch While You Are On Vacation

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House Items

Knowing that your house is safe and taken care of when we are on vacation gives us the peace of mind to enjoy the week. We notify notify neighbors prior to our departure. We always mow the grass before we leave, but also make sure it is being watered while we are gone. Ask a neighbor to set up your sprinklers or verify that your sprinkler system is scheduled properly.

We stop our mail via US Post Office Hold Mail option on their website. After keying in your name, address, phone number and email, you select the start and end dates of your vacation. We return on a Saturday, so we like to have all our mail delivered on that day. We find this easier than having our mail picked up daily.

We chose to stop our paper while we are on vacation. You can hold the paper and have all papers delivered when you return. We chose to have the papers that we do not received recycled.

Having our puppy cared for while we are gone is an important consideration. We evaluated multiple kennels and chose to have our Invisible Fence Trainer keep her at her house. This was a less expensive option and may allow them to bond more for better training results.

The most important things we do prior to locking up the house is to turn off the water supply to the toilet and pour in a little bleach. No one wants to return to a house that had an unforeseen and unnoticed water leak. Additionally, no one want to see a science experiment in their toilet due to a week of inactivity.

It is comforting to return from a busy week on vacation knowing that our house was safe.

House Check List Items

House Items
Packed Or Completed?
Adjust Thermostat
 
Bleach Toilets
 
Clean Car
 
Empty Refrigerator
 
Mow Grass
 
Neighbor To Pick Up Extra Mail Papers
 
Neighbor To Take Out Trash
 
Neighbor To Water Grass
 
Neighbor To Water Plants
 
Oil Change And Car Tune Up
 
Pet Care
 
Remove All Trash From House
 
Schedule Sprinkler System
 
Shut Off Water To Toilets
 
Stop Mail
 
Stop Newspaper
 
Unplug All Electronics In House
 

Enjoying Summer Vacations

The boys taking a walk with Grandpa on vacation
The boys taking a walk with Grandpa on vacation

A Checklist Makes For Easy Packing

My husband and I have an agreement when it comes to packing for our beach vacation. I create and maintain the packing list and do the packing. His job is to figure out how to get it all in the Surburban!

The days till vacation are being counted down. The kids are anxious. I have not even started packing. I will begin packing a few days prior to our departure. This is never a stressful process. My packing list has been refine over the years. We have packing down to a science.

I bring a copy of our beach check list with us to vacation as well. Not only do we have to bring everything to vacation. We need to make sure we bring it all home!

Let the lazy days of summer vacation begin!

Watch out beach!

Here we come!

© 2012 Karen Lackey

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