Whether you frequent the beach daily or are lucky enough to get in one visit a summer, you want to come prepared with fun beach activities to make the trip worth it and fun for everyone.
A day at the beach can be awesome. But let’s be honest, it’s a lot of work and sometimes kids lose interest fast – unless you have some awesome beach activities lined up to keep them happy.
By the time you make snacks, pack the cooler, get swimsuits and sunscreen on and stake your claim to the perfect spot on the beach for the day, you’re exhausted and ready to relax. The last thing you want is a child that is ready to go home half an hour later.
Make your day in the sun and surf an active one.
Planning activities everyone will enjoy is key to a great beach day and will pay off in memories for years to come.
We have searched the internet and have shortlisted the top 21 Beach activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
1 – Take a mini inflatable pool to the beach
Fill it with water so even your tiny tots can enjoy the sand and water in a safer way.
2 - Make a keepsake "beach in a jar".
Collect sand, pebbles, seashells or sea glass in a jar. When you get home, paint the name of the beach or city and the year to commemorate the trip on your jar.
Families and the beach just go together- it’s a perfect way to be active and outside with your children
3 – Have an impromptu family photoshoot
Take goofy photos of each other and make memories to last a lifetime.
4 – Play pass the water.
Stand in a line and pass a cup of water over your head to the next person in line.
5 – Fly a kite
6 – Have a picnic
7 – Make a sundial
8 – Make a tent with towels.
Spending time at the beach can be varied – you can relax by the water, swim, play games on the beach, look for seashells – or all of the above.
9 – Have a ping pong ball race.
Dig two side-by-side channels in the sand and place a ping pong ball in each one. Pour a small amount of water in the channel so that the ball floats. Then, on hands and knees, blow the ball down the channel. Whoever gets to the end first, wins.
Staying active is one of the best ways for kids to beat boredom at the beach. Sand and water make a different environment than the typical backyard, so kids can explore while having fun.
10 – Write each person’s name in the sand
along with the year and their footprint and take a keepsake photo.
11- Collect smooth rocks to paint when you get home.
12 – Play tic-tac-toe in the sand using pebbles or seashells instead of Xs and Os.
13 – Search for seashells.
When your child returns, have them sort them by shape, size or colour. It’s a great quiet-time activity for smaller children. Please return live shells back to the sea.
14 – Build a boat out of sand big enough for the kids to sit and pretend to drive
15 – Bring plastic construction work toys
like dump trucks and diggers to create a sand construction site.
16 – Have crab races
by scooting on your hands and feet with your belly facing up.
17 – Play “squirt ball.”
Draw two lines in the sand, a few feet away from each other, one from each team. Place a beach ball in the middle. Use squirt guns to move the beach ball across the other team’s line to score a point.
18 – Play “Don’t knock down the castle.”
Make a large sandcastle and take turns removing a small scoop of sand from it, one at a time. Whichever player makes the castle collapse loses the game.
19 – Play “Beach Golf.”
Dig a hole in the sand and roll a tennis ball at the hole from the same distance, whoever needs the fewest rolls wins the hole. Make various holes on slopes or hills to make it more challenging.
20 – Play “Crack the egg.”
Sit in shallow water with your arms wrapped around your knees. As the waves come in, they will knock you around. The last person to let go of his knees wins.
21 – Pick up litter (even if it is just your own)
An excellent way to teach children about conservation.
Kids and adults often have different wants and motivations at the beach. Children use beach time as an opportunity to run, swim and play, while parents often want to use a beach trip for much-needed time to relax.
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What is your favourite thing to do on the beach? Share your favourite games, activities and family fun experiences with us in the comments below, and you might feature in our next blog post about beach games and fun.