Beach holidays can be wonderful family getaways... if you’re prepared! Of course, sand and water are a combination that invite free play and will trigger most kids’ imaginations to create fabulous, undirected games and activities.
Here are some our ideas:
1. How Low Can You Go?
Nothing beats good-old digging in the sand. Get your kids to see how deep of a hole they can dig and when they’ve dug as far as they can, see if an adult can fit in the hole or see how long it takes to fill the hole with water.
Required: shovels and varying levels of attention span
2. Water Bucket Relay
Kids love relay races, and at the beach the old egg and spoon race can be replaced with a water bucket relay. Give each child a plastic cup, spoon, or large shell and have them run to the water, fill their carrying implement, and race to empty it in a bucket. Kids love the challenge of trying to keep the water from spilling before they get it into their bucket.
Required: a bucket and carrying tool for each child
3. Beach Bowling
Line up empty bottles or bring your own dollar store plastic pins and balls. The best part about beach bowling is that you don’t have to rent shoes that have been worn a few hundred times. Remember to let the smaller kids line up closer to the pins.
Required: a set of pins and balls
4. Tug of War, Beach Style
Using a skipping rope or towels tied together, stand at the water’s edge. Divide the kids (and adults) into two teams. Make sure the middle of the rope is right over a line drawn in the sand. Hand the ends of the rope to each team and show them how to pull. Be prepared to end up in the water!
Required: a skipping rope and strong muscles
5. Sand Hopscotch
Bring the popular hopping game to the beach! Using a stick or rock, draw a grid on the sand and use rocks or shells for markers. If the sand is hot, don’t forget your flip flops or water shoes.
Required: nothing to bring along other than a bounce in your step
6. “Parachute” Games
Kids love parachute games. Adults love parachute games. So grab a large beach towel and a beach ball, hold the ends and sides of the towel with the ball in the middle of the towel, and see how high that ball can bounce. Aim for the sky!
Required: a beach towel and beach ball
7. Sand Angels
Our kids can transfer their energy to the sand and make summer angels. Sure the kids will get sandy but that’s half the fun!
Required: no aversion to sand in your hair
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