Going to the beach sounds like any child’s idea of fun. However, the reality can be different. Few children will sit and play on the sand for more than a few minutes without some structure to the playtime. Here are some ideas to make going to the beach a whole lot of fun.
Planning a Family Trip to the Beach
Most people taking a trip to the beach aim to take along the minimum of gear. With this in mind, many of the games featured here require just a bucket and spade, or make use of natural materials you can find on the beach.
When packing for a beach trip, aim to save space wherever you can. Items which can be inflated quickly, such as a beach ball or blow-up skittles are good space savers. Put your child’s swim things inside a beach bucket, again, minimizing the number of things to carry.
A small kite can be rolled up inside a beach towel, or put inside the picnic bag. For younger children, take along a few cookie cutters. It’s amazing how fascinating children find these for making shapes in the sand. These can be used alongside sea- shells, once your child has collected some.
Beach Games for Children
When you arrive at the beach, choose a flat pitch, as free of stones as possible. Make sure it isn’t too near to other beach visitors if you plan to play ball games. You could mark out your territory by placing various belongings around your chosen site.
Once you’re settled, you can think about what to play. Many of the classic playground games can be adapted for the beach, using a large stick to mark out a pitch for some of the activities.
Playground games to try are hopscotch, noughts and crosses (using shells as markers for one player and stones for the other) and football, using rolled up towels or beach bags as the goals.
For beach darts, draw a large round dartboard in the sand. Choose a start line and have the players throw stones to get as near to the centre of the dartboard as possible. Younger children could be allowed to stand nearer the board. For more advanced play, mark the dartboard into zones, with different point values.
Sand and Water Games
The area where the sea meets the sand is a natural playground and can be the focus for messy games, which most kids love. Even the simplest ideas can provide lots of fun. Remember, games played near water are potentially the most dangerous, so keep a constant eye on the activities.
If the tide’s coming in, build a sandcastle a metre or so back from the sea. Then, let the kids construct a dam which will protect the castle for as long as possible. The dam wall can be made of sand, shells and seaweed. Digging a moat around the castle can help it hold out even longer against the sea.
Don’t just stick to sand castles. With adult help, children can make a car or boat, which is big enough for them to sit in. This can either be made near the sea, so they can sit in and wait for the water to run into their vehicle, or can be constructed away from the sea to play in all day.
Organizing Beach Play
Don’t feel you have to constantly suggest activities. Some of the best games evolve naturally when children are free to make their own use of the resources around them. Provided you’re there to keep an eye on them and chip in with a suggestion when ideas are running low, your day out will be a big success.
Resources
Momcentral.com has some lively beach games, including a water relay race, beach bowling and a sand volcano.
Remember, Suite101.com is a regularly updated source of information of both indoor and outdoor games for kids of all ages.
