Old Fashioned Beach Games: When All You Have is a Beach and a Ball

Old fashioned beach games can help pass the time between eating and that next plunge in the ocean. Let's face it you can't just eat and swim all day long, so it is important to have in mind a few other ways to spend your time at the beach. Sure you can go exploring by sauntering along the beach and dodging the incoming waves or you can stretch out on your beach blanket and listen to a few tunes. But chances are , unless the temperature really skyrockets, the sea air will probably be suggesting something more active, perhaps even mildly competitive to fill the non-eating, non-swimming portion of the day.

These games qualify as old fashioned because they were played fifty years ago ( and more) and require nothing more than the beach and in some cases a simple ball. They qualify as beach games because they all involve actions which involve running, jumping or sliding all of which are far better done on soft sand than in a parking lot or even a field.

Jump the Brook is a game I first learned at summer camp on the lake front beach more than fifty years ago. I loved it then and love to at least watch it played now. It's a game that you can start at a moment's notice and you can include anyone who wants to join in without any change to the rules. Begin by drawing a visible line in the sand. Make the line long and straight to represent one side of a brook. Have all participants line up on one side of and facing that line. Then draw a second line, parallel to the first and at a short distance away representing the other side of the imaginary brook.

Players now move back a bit and in turn attempt to run and jump across the pretend brook, taking off before their feet hit the first line and landing beyond the second line. When all players have made the jump, or at least attempted it, erase the line that marks the far side of the brook and draw a new line that effectively makes the brook wider. Everyone now resumes their original place behind the first line and prepares once again to jump the brook. Those who can't make the distance are out of the game and become the spectators/cheerers for those who continue. Keep widening the brook and attempting new jumps until a winner is established.

This is a game for all ages and can go across age lines easily. Just make sure to find lots of clear space on the beach, preferably close to water's edge where it is easiest to draw, erase and see the lines marking the sides of the brook. And make sure only one jumper goes at a time.

Only got three people and a ball and you are tired of playing a routine game of catch ? Try pickle. In this game you need to mark off two squares in the sand to stand for bases. The distance between the basis depends on the skill level of those playing the game, so experiment before you get going. One person starts in the middle, the goal of the person in the middle is to try to arrive at one of the bases before the ball arrives. The runner keeps moving between the two bases trying to take advantage of any slip up on the part of the basemen in throwing or catching and get safely to the base. For their part the basemen have to continue throwing the ball back and forth, watching the runner all the time and speeding up their throw if they see the runner trying to get safely to the opposite base. Once the runner is able to get to a base safely, the person at that base ends up in the pickle and the runner takes on the duties of baseman .

For baseball fans this game really resembles a run down play in baseball in which someone gets caught off the base. The only difference is that those throwing the ball have to remain at their bases unless you choose otherwise. This is a great game for three but also can accommodate more as different players can sub in to any of the positions. It's also a great game to go across generation.Some of my favorite beach game memories where when two adults manned the bases and kids took turns being in a pickle. It brought everyone together to play and cheer. Wow, how old fashioned can you get.

Another old fashioned beach game that accommodates larger numbers is called "Colors". Each player chooses a color. One person stands in the center of a circle of all other players and throws a ball in the air. You can use any size, but a rule of thumb would be, the younger the players the larger the ball. The person in the center throws the ball in the air and calls one of the colors that other players have selected as their own. The person whose color is called must attempt to catch the ball, all other players run away from the center of the circle. If the player whose color is called catches the ball while it is still in the air, he or she throws the ball up again and calls a second color allowing all players ( including the thrower) to continue running while the player whose color has been called dashes to retrieve it. If a player called does not catch the ball while it is still in the air he or she grabs the ball from the ground and yells HALT, then takes three running giant steps towards the nearest players and tries to hit the player, below the waist with the ball. If he is successful the player hit becomes the new person in the center of a new circle and play continues. If the he misses hitting the player, he returns to the center to begin the game all over with everyone coming in to a tight circle around him.

This game is great on the beach because running in the sand slows down the escape from the center and because those racing to catch the ball in the air don't have to worry about falling on cement or hard ground and so can make great dives to catch it. The only difficulty is to remember what color you are.

Volleyball fans of all ages can amuse themselves on the beach by simply drawing a line and dividing participants, half on either side of the line. The game proceeds as an ordinary game of volleyball with the obvious necessary accommodations due to the absence of a net. There is no spiking and there is no minimum height at which the ball must travel over the line. Otherwise points are accumulated as with regulation volleyball. Because this is just an old fashioned beach game you are welcome to devise rules that will best accommodate the age and skill level of your players. You really don't have to be a pro or look great in your swim suit to play old fashioned beach volleyball. Just get a ball, pick sides and draw a line. Let the games begin.

Finally you can try this rip off from the Olympics called "Hop, skip, jump". No ball is needed and the game can be extended to as many competitors as you wish. Find a clear stretch of beach close to the water and draw a line. Select one or more judges to mark the landing spot for jumpers as they participate. Then starting from behind the line participants can take a running start to first hop on one foot as far as they can, then preform one skipping action, followed by a standing broad jump. It's important for someone to model what each of the moves looks like and to show how they are done in sequence in advance of any competition. This will help players to do well and to avoid arguments.

If you have lots of competitors, run two or three rounds to establish some finalists and then two rounds to establish a winner.

Each of these games will provide lots of laughs, good exercise and probably the same kind of wonderful memories that I hold onto from when I played these old fashioned beach games.