35+ Kid-Friendly Beach Activities For The Ultimate Beach Day
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Heading to the beach with kids? Get ready for a sand-tastic time with these wildly fun things to do at the beach with kids.
We’ve put together our list of favourite beach activities that aren’t just building sandcastles. As someone who grew up on an island and have spent my whole life playing at and bringing my own kids to the beach, I have lots of ideas to share.
We’ve packed in loads of ideas for summer activities that are sure to make a splash with your family and kids of all ages from toddlers to teens. So, slap on some sunscreen, hit the beach, and dive into a sea of fun with our top picks for beach activities!
Beach Activities List
1. Kite Flying
The beach is a perfect spot for flying kites, thanks to the open space and steady breezes.
I find this an ideal summer activity for kids when you have a broad range of ages you’re taking to the beach and it’s fun for the kids and adults.
Either make your own, or buy one or two to bring with you. Here are a couple of cool options:
2. Beach Ball Games
From simple catch and throw to more organized games like beach volleyball or soccer, beach balls offer endless fun. Perfect for toddlers to teens.
3. Beach Relay Races
Set up a series of fun and wet relay races along the edge of the shore. Use driftwood as markers, or draw lines in the sand for start and finish.
- Water Bucket Relay: Kids can race while carrying a bucket of water, trying not to spill it. The one who has the most water at the end wins.
- Beach Ball Relay: In teams of two, be the first to move the beach ball to the finish line using any part of your bodies (except hands). You can make this harder or more difficult by having extra rules like
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4. Write Kind Messages in the Sand
I like to encourage my kids to think up & do random acts of kindness. So writing kind messages in the sand for others to find is an easy way to do this.
Bonus, it also gets them practicing their printing in a fun way.
Here are some ideas of things kids could write
- You are beautiful
- Your smile lights up a room
- You are loved
- You are perfect just the way you are
- Keep going, the world needs you!
5. Play Beach Tic-Tac-Toe
Draw a grid in the sand and use shells and stones as markers for a Beach Tic-Tac-Toe game off.
6. Treasure Map & Hidden Messages in a Bottle
Create a beach treasure map with hidden messages in a bottle along the way. Have a beach themed prize at the end.
Just make sure they collect the bottles as they go. We think it’s important to leave the beach better than we found it.
7. Collect Beach Treasures
Kids love to collect shells and rocks, which can later be used for crafts or beach art right on the beach.
My youngest is just like me, and can’t help but want to come home with pockets full of beach treasures. Just one extra special one is our rule.
BEACH TIP: Check out local rules, as some places may not allow you to remove anything like beach glass, rocks, shells etc. from the beach.
8. Hit the Floating Log Target
Try to hit a floating log, or piles of rocks off driftwood, by throwing beach rocks at them.
Simple, but my last trip to the beach with our kids, both our youngest and our 20+ year old kids, and the adults spent a good hour doing this.
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9. Build An Epic Sandcastle Town
Encouraging creativity and fine motor skills, building sandcastles is a classic beach activity that kids love.
BEACH TIP: Up the difficulty by bringing a photo of a famous building and see if you can recreate it out of sand.
10. Create Your Ideal House Blueprint
Create your ideal house blueprint in the sand. Take a long stick and draw out each room, and what’s in them. Add embellishments with found materials.
I spent hours doing this as a young girl, making intricate house designs with pools, doorways, secret tunnels, ladders, and rooms for various fun things.
11. Make Sand Art
Beyond castles, kids can create all sorts of sand art, including sea creature sculptures, mandalas, or even colored sand in clear bottles. Here are some fun sand art projects kids to adults can do.
BEACH TIP: Use a funnel to layer your sand art or make your mandala designs.
12. Make Rock Art or Try Rock Balancing
See how high you can pile beach stones into a cool looking piece of art.
BEACH TIP: Take selfies of yourselves with your creations for fun memories.
13. Picnicking
Enjoying a beach picnic can be a great way to relax and refuel after playing in the sun and sand.
BEACH TIPS: Make it even more fun by picking a theme for all your food (all blue foods, ocean creature shaped or named foods etc.). Use a fitted sheet upside down with backpacks or cooler in the corners to create a sand free space for your picnic.
14. Play Beach Bowling or Bocce
Set up pins (you can use bottles or homemade pins) and roll a ball to knock them down. I bought a bocce ball set and set up a game that way for our last beach trip (the lazy parents, make things easier way!)
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15. Beach Obstacle Course / Follow The Leader
Create a fun and challenging obstacle course in the sand, and around the paths and driftwood of the beach area.
Most often our kids play more of a follow the leader / don’t touch the ground version, where they take turns leading their siblings (or us parents) on epic adventures from one end of the beach to the other.
16. Explore Tide Pools
Investigating tide pools can be both fun and educational, as kids discover various marine creatures and plants.
BEACH TIP: We like to bring a tidepool guide and see how many creatures we can identify.
17. Go On A Coastal Scavenger Hunt
Miss S. & I always love going on a good beach scavenger hunt.
Create a list of items for kids to find, which can include seashells, different types of seaweed, smooth stones, and more.
BEACH TIP: For an art theme – ask them to create some beach art out of what they found and leave it for others to enjoy.
18. Play Ocean-Themed I Spy
A beach version of I Spy, focusing on ocean-related items. I like pulling this one out when I just want to “relax” on our beach blanket for while, instead of running after our kids.
19. Play Sand Pictionary
Draw in the sand to play Pictionary with beach-themed prompts. Just make up cue cards with a bunch of beach ideas ahead of time. Or any theme that suits your fancy really.
20. Enjoy Some Water Sports
What I love about water sports is there are so many ideas depending on the ages & abilities of your kids. Here are a few ideas:
- Swimming: What could be more enjoyable then dipping in the water. We also like to jump over the waves making it a game to see how many we can jump over in a row.
- Synchronized Swimming: In calmer water we like to make up & do ridiculous synchronized swimming routines. We end up laughing every time.
- Bodyboarding: Using a small board, kids can ride the waves near the shore, a great introduction to wave-based water sports. Or do a little surfing if you’re up for it.
- Kayaking: With proper supervision, kids and teens can paddle in the calmer waters near the beach.
- Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP): A fun way to explore the water, and kids of all ages can participate. Just make sure they’re wearing a life jacket.
- Skimboarding: I used to do this as a kid, and it’s making a comeback. Skim along the edge of the water standing up on a thin board. Super fun.
- Snorkeling: Exploring underwater life is always a hit with our kds, especially in places we visit with more abundant marine life (& warmer ocean temperatures).
- Windsurfing: Older kids and teens might enjoy the challenge of windsurfing, where they can learn to balance and steer using the wind.
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21. Play Beach Ball Hot Potato
Pass a beach ball around in a circle, trying not to get caught holding it when the music stops.
22. Create a Seaweed Garden
Arrange different types of seaweed to make a ‘garden’ in the sand.
23. Exploring the Area
Finding beaches with interesting coastal hikes, or places to explore as well, is always our goal. As we aren’t much for spending the whole day lying on the beach.
Go for a walk around a point, hit up a coastal trail, or climb some rocks.
24. Do A Little Beach Yoga
Teach kids simple yoga poses on the beach, or make up your own “beach” poses.
25. Build A Beach Fort
Use driftwood, and found materials or your towels to build a beach fort. This one can keep the kidlets busy for hours.
26. Water Bucket Pass Game
Sit in a circle, and then pass water from one bucket to another using only cups or hands.
27. Camp on the Beach
Falling asleep to the sound of waves is magical. If you get the chance, camping on the beach is super fun for both kids and adults.
From setting up camp, to s’mores over a campfire (if allowed), camping on the beach is a bucket list item that I recommend doing at least once with your family.
28. Hold A Beach-Themed Storytime
Gather around on your beach blankets for storytelling or reading books with beach or ocean themes.
We like to create our story together, by each of us taking turns telling part of the story.
29. Beach Ball Parachute
Use towels, a large sheet or a colorful play parachute to toss a beach ball in the air.
We used to do this when Miss S. was a toddler, and she couldn’t get enough of it. It’s also a great way to make friends with other families on the beach with little kids. Invite them over to play too.
30. Do Beach Shadow Puppets or Shadow Dancing
Sunny beach days make for a great opportunity to do a little shadow dancing, shadow chasing or shadow puppetry.
Spontaneous dance parties are always welcome with our family.
31. Create A Beach Mini Theater
Kids can create and perform their own mini plays or skits on the beach.
Bring finger puppets, or other puppet supplies, or get them to make puppets out of found objects .
32. Clean Up The Beach
Teach your kids to be a good steward, and caretaker of the earth by cleaning up some garbage off the beach.
33. Make A Musical Ocean Instrument
Make a rattle out of a forked stick, shells with holes in them and an elastic band. Check out Red Ted’s tutorial here.
34. Look For Crabs
Every beach trip I’ve ever been on with kids has always ended up with searching for crabs.
Just be respectful of the beach environment and gently return the rocks to where they were.
35. Dye Beach Sand
Kids love getting right into the sand. By using some ziploc bags, sand & a few different colored vegan dyes (to make it safer for the environment) you can make sand art. Or even just leave it in the bags for a sensory activity.
BEACH TIP: Here’s a great how to dye sand guide by Diana Rambles
36. Become A Mermaid
Bury your kids legs in the sand, leaving their upper body out. Shape the bottom half into a mermaid tail, and decorate with shells and seaweed. Take a photo for memorabilia.
37. Make Sand Shapes With Cookie Cutters
Bring your cookie cutters from home and press into the sand to make interesting shapes.
We’ve also used the edges of various beach toys too, like trucks, shovels, buckets, sunscreen bottles etc.
38. Draw A Beach Maze
Draw a beach maze in the sand and get your family members to race through it.
Make it more difficult ( & up their problem solving skills), by having dead ends, and different routes you can take.
39. Water Fights
Water + Kids = waterfights.
Bring along some waterguns (if your family is ok with that). Or try these homemade Sponge Water Bombs, a great alternative to water balloons as they’re reusable, and won’t leave dangerous pieces of plastic on the beach
40. Sunrise or Sunset Celebration
Celebrate the start or end of the day with a special beach gathering.
What I have loved about travelling to other small beach communities is watching how so much of the town comes out at sunset to watch the sun go down. Such a family affair.
41. Try Hula Hooping
Hula Hooping is a fun activity & a great way to exercise, toning your core and legs.
Bring a couple to the beach and time how long people can hula hoop for.
Also handy if you are planning an obstacle course, as they can be used as part of it.
42. Play Card Games
Card games are portable, and perfect for when you want a break from the sun. Play at picnic table or under your umbrella / beach tent in the shade.
43. See How Many Colours Of Beach Glass You Can Find
Go on a hunt for beach glass and see how many different colours of beach glass you can find.
I have always loved collecting beach glass, and seeing if I could find the more rare blues, and pinks.
44. Start A Game of Beach Tag or Frisbee
Classic games like tag or frisbee are great for the beach, offering exercise and fun in the sun.
Final Thoughts: Best Beach Activities for Families
And there you have it, over 35 super fun activities to make your beach day with the kids unforgettable.
I hope our favourite beach activities list was helpful. From playing beach games to going on exciting treasure hunts, there’s no end to the fun your family can have on the sand and in the water.
So, pack your beach bag, grab some sunscreen, and get ready to create some awesome memories with your kids. Whether you’re splashing around, exploring nature, or just chilling by the sea. Let’s make your next beach visit the best one yet!
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