Pop-up tent, bucket, and snacks.

You don’t need a wagon full of gear. Toddlers are pretty simple — they want to sit in the shade, dig in the sand, and eat. That’s it.

A pop-up tent gives you a place to escape the sun without wrestling an umbrella. Costco sells one for thirty bucks. A sturdy bucket and a few shovels will keep them busy longer than any expensive water table. And a good cooler with snacks and cold drinks is non-negotiable — hangry toddlers on the beach are someone else’s problem.

Skip the blow-up floaties, the fancy beach chairs, and the sand-filtering contraptions. You’ll be carrying all that stuff back to the car while the kid naps. Keep it minimal and you might actually enjoy a few minutes of sitting still.