If you’re planning a trip to the beach with the little one, have some beach games for kids in mind. We already know about making sand castles and building a dam, but how about some other beach activities? Below are some ideas that can be fun and creative.
1. Tic-tac-toe. Draw a big square in the sand. Find some shells or use extra sand to make an X or an O and have a tic-tac-toe contest.
2. Hand ball. This beach game for kids is similar to tennis. You need a soft plastic ball roughly the size of a volleyball. Draw a large square in the sand, and divide the square into two, cutting a line down the center. One person starts by serving the ball with her hand, and the ball must cross over the line and hit the other person’s square. Once the ball bounces up, the receiving person must hit the ball back to the other person’s square. Consider going down near the wet part of the beach where the ocean waves meet the soft sand so the ball is able to bounce effectively.
3. Treasure hunt. Bury a few items in the sand and give some clues about where to find them. Let the kids be treasure hunters.
4. Shell hunting. Find shells with a ready-made hole in them and string a cord through the hole to make a necklace.
5. Sand memory game. This beach game for kids involves some thinking. It uses a grid and plays with two people. Items needed to play are shells and a beach towel. You might begin with a grid sixteen squares (four squares per side). Just make sure it’s no bigger than the size of a towel. Have the second person turn away while you set shells on your grid. You can only put one shell on each square, but you don’t need to put a shell on every square. Once the shell pattern is created, cover it with a towel. Uncover your grid and let the second person view it for 5 seconds, then cover the grid again. The second person now has to duplicate the pattern on her own grid. When your friend is done, lift the towel and see how close he or she got. Make the rules more challenging as you progress; try different items such as sticks, cups, or making a larger grid.
6. Beach darts. Use a stick to draw a huge dartboard in the sand. Place points into each segment with the most points in the small center, just like a real dartboard. You can use a couple of items to throw at the grid like bean bags or shells as a substitute.
7. Beach golf. You need a set of plastic clubs and golf balls. For putting, consider going down near the wet part of the beach where the ocean waves meet the soft sand. Dig the holes and swing away.
8. Wave racing. This may be a familiar game when it comes to beach games for kids. Line up at a safe spot in the ocean where the waves start to come in and race to be the first to hit the beach.
9. Sand writing and drawing. Using play tools can be helpful in order to create pictures or writing your name.
10. Squirt ball. This beach game for kids is similar to a carnival game as water guns are required. You need two people with water guns completely filled. Draw goal lines in the sand behind each team and place a beach ball in the center of the lines. Each team tries to squirt the beach ball across the other team’s goal line, keeping the ball away from their own goal line and without using any hands or feet.
