Summer Beach Activities

The beach is great fun in itself. Soaking up the sun rays, playing in the waves and building sandcastles in the sand...what could be better? After the swimming, building and tanning is done for the day, here are some fun activities that the entire family will enjoy.

Make a checkerboard out of a big towel. It's a simple game to play and even simpler to make. To make the checkerboard, you will need a full or oversized towel-30x50 inches or larger, a blackfabric marker, ruler, new kitchen sponge, black fabric paint and a paper plate. Using a fabric marker and a ruler, mark off a-inch square in the middle of your towel. Divide the large square into sixty-four 1.5 inch squares, which is 8 rows and a 8 columns. Next, cut a one and a half inch square from the new kitchen sponge. Dampen the sponge with water and squeeze off any excess water. Spread black fabric paint onto a paper plate. Dip the sponge into the fabric paint and press the sponge into every other square. Do this very carefully and allow the paint to dry overnight. To make a checker pocket, simply cut a washcloth in half and use a needle or thread or sewing machine to attach one of the halves to the towel alongside the checkerboard. Make sure to leave one of the long edges undsewn so that you can add the checker pieces. Stitch a Velcro strip to the open edge of the washcloth and the towel to make a closure. You can fill the pocket with checker pieces from an original checkers game or you can also use rocks and shells from the beach for added fun!

It seems that everyone enjoys playing miniature golf while they are on vacation at the beach. Put a twist on the everyday game of miniature golf by playing a game of glowstick golf. This game shoulod be played at nighttime when it is dark outside. Dig holes in the sand and place glowsticks inside of the hole. Give each player a ball and putter. You can create small hills or ridges to make the game more challenging. Give each hole a "par" and see which player can get the best score!

To create your own souvenir, purchase clear glass jars from your local craft store. Whenever you go on vacation, collect sand, small shells, rocks, coral and other types of sea treasures. Place them in the glass jars and label the jar with the name of the beach and the date of your trip. You can use nice labels and tie them on with twine or something beachy. Place the jars on a shelf or windowsill to remind you of your favorite seaside trips!