Tag Archives: beach

Fun Things You Can Do With Your Kids On The Beach

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Whether it feels like it or not, summer is right around the corner, which means that you’re probably in the process of planning a trip to the beach. After all, there are few things better than relaxing on a blanket of warm sand and dozing your troubles away. Of course, beach trips can quickly turn sour and be cut short if your children aren’t entertained, so it’s important that you plan a few fun activities to keep them busy throughout the day. If you’re stuck for ideas, then keep reading for four great ones.

  1. Create Beach Art

Building sandcastles is definitely fun, but it’s an activity that will only keep your kids busy for so long. If you want to prevent them from getting bored, then you need to think of something bigger. This is where beach art comes in. All you need to do is get to the beach as early as can and send your kids out hunting for cool and colorful objects to make pictures with. You could also challenge them to create sand sculptures, or get them to draw on rocks and shells.

  1. Drive Dune Buggies

If your child is somewhat of a daredevil, then you might want to get them their own dune buggy and bring it with you when you go to the beach. If you’re not sure what dune buggy to buy your child, then you can visit Kids Ride Wild for some advice. A dune buggy will provide them with hours of fun during your day out, and is something they can also ride at off-road tracks closer to home. Many buggies have two seats, so your kids can share this hobby and have fun together.

  1. Play Sand Pictionary

If you’re familiar with the game Pictionary, then you can probably guess what sand Pictionary is. All you need to do is pick a card with a word on, like fish or firework, and then draw this picture in the sand where you’re sitting. Your family will have to try and guess what it is that you’re drawing, and when someone guesses correctly, they get a turn. You could also play tic-tac-toe, by drawing the grid, Xs, and Os in the sand, like with Pictionary.

  1. Ride Boogie Boards

Boogie boards can be bought from shops all along the beachfront, so pop in a few and get one for each member of your family. They’re relatively cheap but are a lot of fun, and you and your kids can spend hours trying to ride the waves on them. You could even have a competition to see who can balance on their boogie board the longest, by lining up along the end of the water and standing on your boards. To make it extra difficult, you could face away from the waves.

Going to the beach can be a lot of fun, but only if you’ve got fun things to do. Hopefully, your kids will enjoy the activities above, so you don’t have to cut your day out short.

How to Have a Better Day at the Beach with Your Kids

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At this time of year, one of the most fun things to do with the family is head down to the beach and spend some time building sandcastles, swimming in the beach and eating cool ice creams.

Unfortunately, trips to the beach aren’t always so idyllic, especially when you have young kids in tow. Often they get too hot, tired and uncomfortable too quickly and what should be a great day descends into tears and tantrums. If you want to avoid that happening, and have a wonderful time in the sun, here are a few things you can do to make it so….

Dress the Kids Appropriately

If you want the kids to feel as comfortable as possible on your beach trip then dressing them right for the occasion is pretty important. First of all, you’re going to want to ensure that they have comfy shoes. For babies and toddlers, soft-soled shoes like these Olive and Bean Baby Moccasins are ideal because they are as comfy as they are supportive, or if kids are a little older, Crocs or even sneakers will be better. In terms of clothing, loose-fitting garments made from natural fabrics like cotton are best (although they might not be optimum for washing) because they will allow the kids to breathe. If their skin is going to be uncovered for any length of time, be sure to apply lots of sun lotion on a regular basis to avoid burning too.

Pack a Pop-Up Tent

Packing a pop-up tent or sun shelter is an excellent idea because they are lightweight and can be folded up into a small bag with ease, and they will ensure that whichever spot you pick on the beach, you will always have access to a cooler, shaded area where you can all sit if the heat is getting too much for you.

Pack Activities

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Although you might think the beach is all the entertainment you need, well apart maybe from a  bucket and spade for building sandcastles, a lot of kids will get pretty bored with the sand and the sea before you’re anywhere near ready to head home, For that reason, it never hurts to pack some crayons and coloring books and a few small toys that you know they enjoy, so if they aren’t into paddling or burying dad alive in the sand, you have other options to keep them busy. Trust me, you’ll be glad of those crayons.

Bring Beach-Friendly Blankets

If you’re heading to the beach with really young kids who still enjoy their naps from time to time, you’re going to want to bring some washable blankets along, so you can male them comfy if they need to sleep. A well-timed nap will, most of the time, nip any tantrums in the bud, so this is one step you aren’t going to want to skip. It might also be useful to bring along a soft toy for snuggling if your child usually has one to nap with.

Pack a Cool Box

When you’re at the beach, it’s important that you keep everyone hydrated or they could start to get cranky or even become ill. A cool box which will keep everything chilled, filled with lots of water and juice boxes is ideal and will save you money because most of those beachside stores and kiosks are pretty expensive.


Go Early

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Heading to the beach earlier in the (say before 9 a.m.) is a good way of ensuring that you get the best spot for your family. After that, if it’s a really nice day, the beach will start to fill up and those prime spots that are close to the sea, near a little shade and close to the facilities, will be snapped up so fast. If you go really early, you may even have the beach almost entirely to yourselves for a little while.

Sit Near the Lifeguard

If you sit near the lifeguard, although you should absolutely be watching your kids very closely at all times, you won’t have to worry quite so much because you’ll know that should you get separated there will be a trained pair of eyes to alert you and intervene if necessary. So, don’t get in their way, but stay close by them if you can.

Plan a Treasure Hunt

Want to ensure the kids have fun and stay engaged enough that there are no tantrums? Plan your own treasure hunt and you can pretty much guarantee that you’ll all have a blast without any problems whatsoever. I mean, which kid doesn’t like finding the treasure hidden in the sand?

Have fun at the beach!

Pictures from Our Outer Banks Family Vacation

How much do you remember from your last family vacation? Seems like the moment vacation ends and we’re waking up in our own bed the next day, some of my memories have gone by the wayside.

Really, we just returned, how could that happen?! Often is the case, memories will come back little by little as days go by. Talking to friends and family about the trip helps recall events, as does looking at all of the vacation photos you took. You did take pics, right?

Upon finishing my day-by-day posts of our recent family vacation to Corolla, North Carolina in the Outer Banks, I realized I had left a few things out. I also just want to share more pics. In no particular order, here are a few more photos from our trip I somehow left out.

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Our beachgoer girl ready to catch some waves.

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Catching the waves with Mommy and Daddy.

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Avery keeping warm in the chilly wind with her beach robe as Daddy plays in the sand.

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We found a huge sand crab. I caught him with our trusty plastic pail to take a pic. Afterward, several others dug a hole for us to put him in. He’s probably still traumatized from that day.

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Family selfie on the bottom bunk in our sleeping quarters for the week.

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Aunt Tammy, Grandma, and G-Ma ready to go on Bob’s Wild Horse Adventure, a popular attraction in the area.

Bob's Wild Horses Tour in Outer Banks_Paul Peeking in

Oh yeah, Uncle Paul was there too!

Uncle Preston_Outer Banks Family Vacation

Just a good shot of Uncle Preston. He provided all of us plenty of entertainment with a stream of stories. With every drink complete, the stories only got better. Thank you, Preston, for sharing your fun-filled adventures.

Grandma Hugging Suspicious Avery

Hugs from Grandma before leaving to go back home. It was early, she was suspicious of everything!

To follow along each day of our family vacation, just use the links below.

Picture Post While on Vacation

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Thanks to blogging, I’ll be able to record memories to reflect on years from now. Unless the internet goes away…..*gasp*