Our Clever Finds

Once you have the beach necessities like sun shade, sunscreen, and beach chairs squared away — see our article Our Favorite Beach Day Essentials for Families and Couples for our full lineup — it’s time to plan the most important part: what will we eat and drink!

Of course, water is always on the list. Check out Stay Cool This Summer: Hot Weather Essentials for Parks, Festivals, Water Days and More for our favorite water bottle, hat, and rash guard picks.

Setting Up the Picnic

Food Storage for the Beach

For a day at the beach, leakproof reusables are a great way to pack. Not only does it keep sand and food from getting waterlogged, it cuts down on the trash you have to haul at the end of the day.

Here are some of our favorite clever finds for keeping food fresh and sand-free:

Reusable Dinnerware & Utensils

Reusable dinnerware and utensils are nice to have and cut down on the trash haul. Easy to pack and easy to clean up at home — both of these are unbreakable, dishwasher-safe, and microwave-safe. Great for any outdoor entertaining, including that beach picnic.

What’s in Our Beach Cooler

Of course, we need a great cooler to haul our stuff. Here are a few options depending on your group size:

Tumblers & Drinkware

Tumblers are always a good accessory for drinks and can do double duty with water or juice for the kids. We go to the beach to relax and have fun — and we can always celebrate that it’s “5 o’clock somewhere.”

Don’t Forget: Something to Haul It All

A couple of favorites from our article Our Favorite Beach Day Essentials for Families and Couples are worth mentioning again — two beach carts to haul all that food and gear:

🐾 Pepper’s Favorite Beach Day Recipes

Needing inspiration for food? Here are a few of our favorite beach picnic recipes — easy to make ahead, easy to pack, and they actually taste good after a few hours in the cooler. (Pepper vouches for at least one of them.)

🥒 Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

• 8 slices soft white or whole wheat bread
• 8 oz whipped cream cheese
• 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix cream cheese, dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Spread on bread, layer cucumber slices, remove crusts if you like, and cut into triangles or fingers. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until ready to pack. Travel tip: pack in a shallow container so they don’t get squished — and keep them away from Pepper.

🦃 Beach Club Turkey Sandwiches

• Ciabatta rolls or sourdough
• Oven-roasted turkey, provolone, bacon, lettuce
• Tomato (pack separately) and avocado (optional)
• Mayonnaise and Dijon mustard

Lightly toast the bread, spread mayo and Dijon, then layer turkey, cheese, bacon, and lettuce. Add tomato just before eating so the sandwich doesn’t get soggy. Wrap in parchment paper and then foil. Travel tip: chill sandwiches overnight before packing into the cooler.

🍝 Mediterranean Beach Pasta Salad

• 12 oz rotini pasta
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, diced
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• ½ cup feta cheese
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• ½ cup Italian dressing
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, salt and pepper

Cook pasta and rinse under cold water. Combine with vegetables and feta, toss with Italian dressing, and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Garnish with parsley before serving. Travel tip: store in a leakproof container and keep it near the bottom of the cooler, where it’s coldest.

Our Clever Crew Beach Picnic Checklist

One last reminder from The Clever Crew: pack out what you pack in. Bring trash bags, gather up any wrappers, cans, or food scraps at the end of the day, and dispose of them properly — never leave anything behind on the sand. It’s a small habit that keeps the beach clean and beautiful for the next family.

Pepper spent the whole picnic keeping watch under the blanket — purely for security purposes, of course.