Heading to the beach? You don’t need fancy equipment to have a great time. The beach itself is the toy. Dig in the sand, explore tide pools, hunt for shells, and play in the waves. These seven beach activities for kids are inspired by the animals that call the shore home.
Time: 1-3 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Materials
- Bucket and shovel (optional)
- Magnifying glass (optional, for tide pool exploring)
- Small container or bag for collecting shells
- Sunscreen, hat, and water bottle
What to Do
- Dig like a ghost crab. Ghost crabs dig burrows in the sand that can be over 3 feet deep. See how deep you can dig! Look for tiny holes in the sand near the high-tide line. Those are real ghost crab burrows. At dusk, you might see the crabs scuttling around.
- Soak up the sun like a sea lion. Sea lions haul out onto beaches to warm up after swimming in cold water. Find a sunny spot, spread out a towel, and warm up between swims, just like a sea lion on the rocks.
- Search for shells like a hermit crab. Hermit crabs need to find empty shells to live in, and they’re picky about the fit. Walk along the tide line and collect interesting shells. Try to identify what kind of animal made each one. Look for snail shells, clam shells, scallops, and sand dollars.
- Explore a tide pool. When the tide goes out, pools of seawater get trapped among rocks. These tide pools are full of life: sea stars, small crabs, snails, anemones, and tiny fish. Look closely but don’t touch. Many tide pool animals are fragile, and oils from your hands can harm them.
- Walk along the shore like a sandpiper. Sandpipers run along the water’s edge, chasing the waves in and out. Take a walk along the wet sand and watch what the waves leave behind: shells, seaweed, driftwood, and sometimes interesting creatures.
- Ride the waves like a dolphin. Dolphins surf waves for fun, and so can you. Bodysurf, boogie board, or just jump over waves as they roll in. Always swim with a buddy and stay where you can touch the bottom.
- Build a sand sculpture. Go beyond the basic sandcastle. Try sculpting a sea turtle, a whale, a starfish, or a hermit crab. Wet sand packs best. Use shells, seaweed, and driftwood to add details.
