A Day at the Beach

You are a great parent. Pail? Check. Lotion?with the kids while you get a tan).
Check. Designer tent/umbrella/cabana boy? Of,10. Dig big holes and make huge forts. Make a
course. Oh. What are we supposed to do now? Ifpalace for some very lucky barbies.
you're long on accessories but short on ideas, we11. Make a nature jar. Put a layer of sand or grass
have a few activities for you to try.in first and then put larger things on top. With
1. Buried treasure games.older children I would set out a mini scavenger
2. Rubber duck races.hunt ( find 3 rocks, 5 leaves, 4 shells...) , toddlers
3. Re-purpose I spy into "sea Life" and "Be Green"will have a blast just picking things up and popping
treasure hunt that helps clean up the beach.them in the jar. Pop the lid on and take the
4. Take small baby food jars and let the kidsnature home with you to recount your day later.
make their own little take home beach.Recounting an activity is a great thing to do with
5. Make a mini-forest out of driftwood.your child, it is actually a very important skill and is
6. Outline on paper different shapes of things theyimportant for early literacy, so sit down even with
might find and have a scavenger hunt for thetoddlers and pull out your jar and talk about what
shapes.you did at the beach.
7. Find a tidal pool and do a biology lesson on12. Bring some non-toxic paints, and create sea
crabs and fish (no cheating).monsters out of driftwood. Place your art
8. Pick a shell color of the day and search forsculptures around the beach for others to
other shells that color.discover.
9. Play Frisbee and fly a kite (hubby can fly a kite13. Grab a Nature Bag and do some sleuthing!