Treasure hunts It’s all very well hunting for interesting rocks and shells in an aimless and relaxed fashion, but why not add a bit of edge and develop your children’s sense of teamwork too? This game is perfect for three to eight-year-olds. Give a group of children a list of items that they must work together to find: four kinds of shells, a completely black pebble, a piece of sea-worn glass, a lobster shell, a stone with a pattern on it, a piece of driftwood, etc. Get them to find a mystery object; something they can’t identify.
When they’ve finished, ask them to create a sand sculpture that includes all their treasures. Creativity and management skills combined, while you top up your tan — perfect.
Shark attack For those with fond memories of tag and British bulldog, this fishy version is ideal for three-year-olds and up. Draw a large rectangle on a flat stretch of sand; this is the “ocean”. Children, or “fish”, line up at one end and the “shark” stands in the middle, shouting: “I am the shark, king of all motion. Do you dare to cross my ocean?” This is the cue for the fish to run from one side of the ocean to the other. If they’re touched by the shark, they become seaweed and have to stay stuck to the spot but they can reach out and touch other fish, turning them into seaweed as well. The last fish to be caught becomes the new shark.
Rock toss This is deal for five-year-olds and over. Any younger and there could be casualties (think stoning scene in Life of Brian and you get the idea). Each player should have three or four medium-sized stones, ideally a different shade to avoid confusion (yellow, white, black etc). Find a fairly big rock — up to a foot wide — or a heavy piece of driftwood and wedge into an open area of sand. Draw a line in the sand about 12ft away, depending on the age of those playing. Take turns to throw the stone as close to the target as possible. When the stones have all been tossed, check whose is closest. Play as teams or separate members and, after several rounds, you can move the line farther from the target.
Pebble pants Exactly as it sounds and great for younger children. Fill their swimming trunks with six or seven large pebbles, two or three for the younger ones, and see who can run the farthest up the beach without any stones dropping out. They are allowed to hold on to their pebble pants while they run. Not ideal for young toddlers.
The bear and the honey First wear out the children by getting them to help you to create a huge pile of sand. Then draw a large circle around it. One adult is the bear and it is their job to stop any children grabbing as much sand as they can from the pile and placing it outside the circle. The moment someone is caught inside the circle they are out. The game continues until either everyone is out or the children succeed in moving all the sand from inside the circle to outside the parameter. Ideal for eight-years-old and upwards; any younger than 5 and you risk a sand scrum.
Beach cricket The rule is that there are no rules. The bat can be anything that can hit the ball, and the pitch any flat stretch of sand. The more stringent rules of cricket need not apply. Instead, hitting the ball into the sea or into any area whre it is difficult to retrieve counts as six runs and out. All ages and temperaments can enjoy this one — from competitive dads to hyperactive three-year-olds.
Silly sand prints All you need is a long, wet-ish but firm stretch of sand and an energetic and supple adult to create the first trail. All the children — and they can be any age for this — must close their eyes while the leader makes a series of imaginatively intriguing imprints by, for example, walking backwards, doing a cartwheel, or a handstand, hopping, walking on hands and knees, etc. Players then take turns, trying to work out how to fit their hands, feet, knees into the marks and the most successful one creates another trail.
Pebble polishing This requires some foresight and a bit of cash outlay but is guaranteed, from personal experience with an active four-year-old boy, to focus concentration wonderfully for at least, er, half an hour. First buy your stone tumbler (for tumbling and polishing rough rock and pebbles) from www.langleytoys.com, for about £25. It may sound like a tonne of gravel in a washing machine but it’s worth the noise pollution for the end result, a pile of gleaming gemstones that will delight your children. They can even make them into earrings and bracelets afterwards. Crucially, whenever you’re on the beach they will want to hunt for the most promising unpolished gemstones, even the names sound tantalising: pink quartz, aquamarine, agate, amazonite and tiger’s-eye. Take a gemstone chart with you and tick off any that you discover.
Duck duck goose First draw your circle. Children — and this suits age 5 and up — sit with their backs to the circle. An adult or older child who is the “picker” walks around tapping people’s heads saying “duck” or “goose”. But when the picker says the chosen child is “goose”, he or she chases the picker around the circle and tries to tap them before the picker sits down in the “goose’s” spot. If the “goose” fails, they are the next picker. If they win, then the picker has to sit in the middle of the circle and can’t leave until another person is tagged — the youngest player becomes the next picker.
Crocodile Why is it that all the best beach games seem to involve animal names and a large circle drawn in sand? This one is no exception. You’ll need one ball and a large circle drawn in the sand. Try to involve as many players as possible; this is ideal for five-years-old and upwards. A leader chooses an animal name, stands in the middle and throws the ball to others in the circle. Every time you drop the ball, you gain a letter; ie, “C” for crocodile. Once you have collected all the letters of the word, leave the circle. The last player left is the winner.
King of the castle Appeals to kids, and competitive adults, from 2 years upwards. Assign two leaders to pick their teams to build the biggest, tallest and best sandcastle within the allotted time. Give them a specific list of features they have to include — four turrets, a moat, wild flowers or different types of seaweed on each turret, a pebble surround, etc. Whoever wins, and here’s the bit they love, can destroy the other’s sandcastle. As a consolation prize, losers can then knock down the remaining one. Competitive and raucous; children love it.
Beach tents that are supposed to shield children from the sun are a common sight these days. But a Trading Standards Investigation report, published last year, says most fail to offer the levels of protection that they claim. Only one of 11 tested, Mothercare’s Family UV Play Shade (pictured), provided the recommended SPF of 40, the minimum a child should be wearing in the sun. It is suitable for the beach, back garden or park.
SORTED - Kids in the shade
Under canvas
Beach tents that are supposed to shield children from the sun are a common sight these days. But a Trading Standards Investigation report, published last year, says most fail to offer the levels of protection that they claim. Only one of the 11 tested, Mothercare's Family Play Shade, provided the recommended SPF of 40, the minimum a child should be wearing in the sun. It is suitable for the beach, back garden or park.
Buy this Mothercare Family UV Play Shade, £39.99 Stockists 08453 304030, www.mothercare.com
Sun Cream
With so many creams on the market, it’s difficult to know which brand to choose. A recent industry standards test, carried out for Which?, named Garnier Ambre Solaire Moisturising Protection Milk “Best Buy”. The product tested was labelled SPF 15, but offered a higher SPF of 18.1.
Buy this Garnier Ambre Solaire Kids Ultra-Protection Milk, SPF 50 plus, £13.99 Stockists Chemists nationwide These protect feet from stones and pebbles. Choose a pair with rubber soles.
Swim shoes
These protect feet from stones and pebbles. Choose a pair with rubber soles.
Buy this Pull-on Swim Shoes, £8.99 Stockists Great Little Trading Co, 0870 8506000
Sunglasses and sunhat
Look for shades that provide at least 98 per cent protection from UVA and UVB rays. Baby Banz’s sunglasses (right) offer 100 per cent UV protection and have a soft adjustable strap that allows children to splash in the sea. They come with a sunhat.
Buy this Baby Banz Mix and Match Hat and Glasses, £15 Stockists Baby Banz, 01460 281229, www.babybanz.co.uk
