Beach Vacation Checklist
We Are Excited About Vacation!
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
|
Travel First Aid Kits
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
|
Find Out How We Play Wii in the Car
- Fun Activities For Kids On Long Road Trips
Our family vacation is weeks away. In addition to mentally packing, I am planning our activities for our road trip. A happy car is full of happy kids!
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?
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!
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
|
Pack Smart and Spend Frugal On Vacation
- How To Save Money While On Vacation
Getting ready for vacation can be expensive. Being on vacation can be even more expensive! Find out how we plan to save money on gas, rentals/hotels, eating out/groceries, spending money and entertainment while on vacation!
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
Call a Customer Relations Associate toll free at 1-877-734-7728 between 6:30am - 9:00pm weekdays or 6:30am – noon weekends, or log in to our 24/7 online customer service to manage your account when it’s most convenient for you.
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
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