Spending a day at the beach is a great activity for the kids and parents alike. Whether it is a warm summer day or the weather is a bit cooler, it is something the family looks forward to every year. Undeniably, there are a lot of fun filled options that a trip to the beach offers. Most of the time kids would be very happy splashing around in the water and playing with the sand, keeping themselves occupied for a long time. But sometimes, they could be easily bored and would want an actual structured set of activities. In such cases, you can break them away from the traditional activities by providing them with the option of some fun beach games. From sand crafts to ball games, the list is endless. So the next time you head to the beach and find that the water is too cold to go in, you can turn to this list of fun beach games to play with your kids, keeping them happy and entertained.
1. Fill a bucket relay race
This is a fun game you can do as a whole family. All you need for this activity are 2 small buckets of the exact same size and you are good to go. Split up the kids into two teams or if adults are joining in, segregate them in such a way that you have equal number of participants on each side and as evenly as possible, so it ends up being a fair game. Get each team to form a line by the shore and then set up the buckets about 10 feet away from the waters edge. Each team has to carry the water in their bare hands to the bucket and fill it up. The game is to be played like a relay where only one person per team can carry water at one time. Only when he/she reaches the bucket can the other one run to the water. The first team to fill the entire bucket wins the game.
2. Water balloon toss
Doesn’t the name itself sound interesting? Well, this is probably one of the best games to play on a warm day at the beach. Fill a couple of balloons with water and have the kids line up in pairs. Make them stand a couple of feet away, but facing each other. The object of the game is to get the kids to throw the water balloons back and forth to their partner without managing to burst it. After each catch, the person who caught the balloon has to take a step back, increasing the space between them. The pair who has the balloon intact after everyone else’s has burst will be announced the winner.
3. Beach volleyball
Ball games are a must on any beach day. All you need is a net, a big ball and sand and you can spend the day having friendly matches. While the official game has a couple of ground rules, you can maybe loosen it up a bit as you are playing with younger kids. Also make sure the net is not set too high for the kids and do a more modified version of the game where you just toss the ball around between teams making sure you don’t drop it, rather than spiking it to opponents. A simple point system can then tell you which team has won.
4. Sandcastle sculpting
Once all these running and exhausting activities get a bit too much for the kids, they can retire to doing some quiet activity. Consider engaging them in sand sculpting like building sandcastles. This will not only enhance their creativity, but also keep them occupied for quite a long time. Make sure you have the right tools like spades and buckets, which will make the job much more easier and fun for the kids. Remember to apply a lot of sun screen lotion or maybe even give them all hats as they would be out in the sun for an extended period of time.
5. Collecting sea shells and pebbles
This is another quiet and peaceful activity the kids can endure along with the parents. Take a long walk on the beach and encourage them to collect different kinds of shells and pebbles. You can maybe have a contest to see how many different types of shells they can collect and even identify some of them, making it educational as well.
6. Kite flying
Beach is the best place to fly a kite. The windy, open space will not only enable the kite to soar into the sky, but it would also be a great opportunity to teach your little one how to fly a kite.
7. Limbo
The limbo dance form is a great entertainment activity, especially on the beach as the soft sandy floor can take away any concerns of hurting oneself. You would need a long stick or a jump rope which can be used as the limbo stick and of course, some funky music to get the dance going. Have two people hold the stick and when the music plays each player has to bend backwards and pass under the stick. The player who makes it without touching the stick or falling down wins. If kids are having trouble bending backwards, they can be allowed to go sideways. The rules can always be ‘bent’.
8. Sand craft
Doing sand craft is a creative way of keeping kids entertained. You can pack up sand, pebbles, twigs, etc., from the beach and take it home to do all sorts of fun things with it. You can color the sand using some food coloring and then layer it in a bottle or paint the round pebbles to resemble a lady bug or tortoise. The options are endless.
Via: About
