20 priceless beach family photos you will regret not taking

Beach family photos are the best way to capture and remember your priceless family vacation time. We love to display these in our home all year round. Don’t miss the awesome list of beach photo prompts at the end of this post.

Our family is counting down the days until our next trip to the beach. We are so excited to wiggle our toes in the sand and do some wave jumping! We wait all year long for our annual weekend at the shore and do our best to capture all the memories to tide us over until the next visit.

I always try to plan out a little informal beach family photos session of the girls for one morning during the trip. Last year it was an impromptu moment right after dinner when the beach was quiet with the sun starting to set where I caught the girls relaxing and enjoying our first night.

So on top of the pretty individual pictures of each girl and several of the two of them standing at the water’s edge, I also captured this adorable set of beach drawings.

Tim and I had been gazing out at the waves chatting for a few minutes and when we turned back around, the Peanut had written a message for us in the sand!

When Little Pea saw our pleased reaction, she refused to be left out of the fun and promptly added her own little flair to the scene with a drawing of the whole family with a heart:

These simple pictures turned out to be one of my very favorite sets from the whole trip and completely capture my sweet girls at this age.

Capturing family vacation photos is about so much more than posed snapshots in front of landmarks. I really try to take notice of the real moments of our vacation and capture those as well.

When you’re herding the family safely through a beach trip, it can be a little daunting to try and juggle the camera, too. I solve that by trying to do specific photo sessions to get our favorite shots and then put the camera away and enjoy the moment lens-free.

But to have a dedicated photo session can feel like it’s own pressure. Which pictures should you take? How do you prompt the kids?

I brainstormed 20 priceless beach family photos ideas for you. Check these out for inspiration before you head to the beach with your kids.

Then you’ll know just what to do with those intentional photo sessions and can leave the camera and jump in the waves with the kids!

20 priceless beach family photos you have to take on your next vacation:

(Note: These photo prompts assume you have a 2nd adult with you who will keep 100% of their attention on the safety of the kids near the water while your hands are full with the camera.)

Little hands holding fistfuls of shells
Buried in the sand with just their heads and chests popping up
Close-up of their sunglasses and/or sunhat
A sand pail filled with shells
Little toes covered in sand
Jumping high
Sitting down at the water’s edge looking out
Sand castle in progress
Burying daddy in the sand
Jumping in the waves
Laying in a tide pool
Hunting for live creatures (starfish, crabs, etc.) with close-ups of any of the finds
Writing a message in the sand
Drawing a picture in the sand
Handprints/foot prints in the sand
Splashing water at each other
Lounging on the beach towel or chair
Resting with a snack or drink
Reading a waterproof picture book on a blanket
Holding up a pinwheel to the wind

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, then you’ll really love:

Family beach photography ideas and inspiration:

Capturing family photos at the beach has become my favorite summer pastime. If you want more tips and tricks, you won’t want to miss these helpful posts.