The beach. A destination for relaxation. With sand (lots of sand) and water. Beaches of all kinds are the perfect place for family activities. This staple destination for families over the summer is a place where families can bond over a range of fun activities.
Art Activities
Art is not confined solely to the classroom. The beach is the perfect place to get creative. Expression, either alone or as a family is a great relaxing activity. When done as a family, it can be a great bonding experience, as well as an exercise creating fantastic art in it’s own right So make sure to do your beach vacation planning before heading out with the family and trying out these art activities for a great time!
1 – Sandcastles
Sandcastles are an iconic beach art activity. Using wet sand to create spires and turrets, walls and fortifications, and decorating with shells, driftwood and dry sand, you can model everything from a fairy-tale caste, to your house, to a sci-fi spaceship. As a family, this activity will engage for hours, or at least until the tide sweeps in!
2 – Sand Drawings
While drawing is most associated with pen and paper, being at the beach doesn’t preclude this art activity: grab a stick (Or a finger) and draw in the sand! The smooth wet sand left when the tide goes out is perfect for this. Or above the high tide mark, in the sand dunes, draw with pebbles, sticks and shells. Draw your name, your families last name, or simply a stick figure. The art, although important is after all, secondary to it’s true purpose: having relaxing fun in the sun.
3 – Driftwood Hut
Gather a bundle of driftwood, and some cordage, stack and lash together these bones into a small hut. Thatch the roof with foliage. This is the perfect activity for when one first gets to the beach, as it provides shade and a windbreak from which to watch the kids comfortably. Older kids will have fun actively engineering the structure, while younger kids will have fun gathering the materials. This is both babies first lesson in architecture, and a great art activity it its own right!
Sports Activities
It is a universal truth acknowledged by all parents that a child that is active, is a child that will soon need a nap. A child that is having a nap, and asleep is therefore a hassle removed, and peace and quiet can reign in chaos’s stead. The beach is the perfect place for sports, whether it be tossing a ball around, running, or swimming.
4 – Swimming
This activity is vigorous, and not without the dangers of wind and tide. But swimming in salt water, in nature is a strenuous activity that will burn off surplus energy. Whether water fights and general splashing in the shallows, or swimming in the deeper waters, this is a great fun activity for kids and teens.
5 – Body Boarding
This activity is one of the simplest and easiest ways to learn to surf. Grab a body board and ride the waves. Because this activity does not require standing upright on the board, and the balance needed in that sport isn’t needed in this one. Body boarding is a perfect water sport for
6 – Beach Cricket
Grab a bat, grab a ball. Set up some driftwood for some wickets and have some fun. Variants of cricket that are especially good for the beach (it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to put together two teams of eleven) are backyard cricket, French cricket, and the eternal favourite: endless cricket.
Family Fun Activities
Sometimes you’re children aren’t interested in sports, or they want to do art alone. Those kinds of activities are not always conducive to familial harmony. Therefore, we have found activities that the entire family can co-operate together for!
7 – Rock Pool Scavenger Hunt
Rock pools are fascination made manifest. These tidal pools are the domain of numerous small fish, shells, and crabs. This wildlife isn’t normally seen, but it is vibrant. Get a list of the kinds of flora and fauna that is likely to be found near where you are and employ the entire family on a treasure hunt. Remember however, to always keep an eye on the sea.
8 – Family Exploration
The beach isn’t just a place for lying down on the sand, running around in sport or swimming. It is also a place of nature, to explore. Gather together your family, get your kids together, and go for a walk. There are many interesting things to see at the beach, from sea caves, sea arches, to just interesting rocks.
9 – Picnic
There comes a time, after much hard playing, that everyone needs to eat. There is no better way to bond as a family at the beach, than a family picnic. Grab the picnic rugs and refuel the energy that has been used, and have fun, laugh, talk. Discuss the rock pools, and the swimming.
The Beach, a Place for Family Fun
The beach, with it’s wide-open sand, water, wind, and wildlife is the perfect place to take the family, both for some alone time, to practice art, or to explore. There are a variety of activities that can be done, all of which will bring the family together for some bonding and fun. Go to the beach, and bond as a family!
Enjoying the sun at the beach allows your body to produce vitamin D, which is important for bone health and overall well-being.