Thanks to activeforlife.com for their great ideas of fun games to play on the beach.
View the PDF version below:-
Top 20 Fun Games to play on the Beach
1. How deep can you dig?
Get your kids to see how deep of a hole they can dig and when they’ve dug as far as they can, see if an adult can fit in the hole or see how long it takes to fill the hole with water. Please remember to fill in any holes you dig in the sand when you’re done playing for the safety of other people using the beach.
2. Mini Beach Golf
Pick up a plastic set of clubs and balls at your local store or improvise with what you have on hand at the beach. Set up a few targets to aim for or dig holes in the sand to practice your child’s short game. Remember to close the holes when you leave for the safety of other beach goers.
3. Beach Frisbee Golf
Substitute a plain old game of Frisbee with Frisbee golf. Set up targets using items you brought to the beach (could be a picnic blanket, an umbrella, a towel, or you could even dig a hole in the sand to aim at). Take turns trying to throw your Frisbee as close to the target as you can. Make sure smaller kids are allowed to stand closer to the target than the bigger ones to keep frustration levels to a minimum.
4. Water Bucket Relay
At the beach the old egg and spoon race can be replaced with a water bucket relay. Give each child a plastic cup, spoon, or large shell and have them run to the water, fill their carrying implement, and race to empty it in a bucket. Kids love the challenge of trying to keep the water from spilling before they get it into their bucket.
5. Let’s Go Fly a Kite
Even if there isn’t a lot of wind, kids can run with kites and have a great time watching them fly behind them. Kites can be purchased or made by kids before the beach visit.
6. Limbo at the Beach
With two people holding the ends of a pool noodle or jump rope, have each child take a turn trying to go under the “bar” with their backs facing the sand. After each child has succeeded at a certain height of the bar, lower it again and again. If you can play music without disturbing other vacationers, pick a selection of fun beach tunes.
7. Beach Bowling
Line up empty bottles or bring your own plastic pins and balls. The best part about beach bowling is that you don’t have to rent shoes that have been worn a few hundred times. Remember to let the smaller kids line up closer to the pins.
8. Beach Volleyball
Depending on the ages of the kids playing, a real volleyball and net can be set up. For the smaller set, a beach ball and a towel are great substitutes. Try to count the number of times you can get the ball back and forth.
9. Beach Style Tug of War
Using a skipping rope or towels tied together, stand at the water’s edge. Divide the kids (and adults) into two teams. Make sure the middle of the rope is right over a line drawn in the sand. Hand the ends of the rope to each team and show them how to pull. Be prepared to end up in the water!
10. Squirt Ball
Kids can work together or compete against each other in this fun game. Give each child a beach ball and squirt gun or spray bottle and have them stand across a line drawn in the sand. Each child has to squirt their ball with all of their might to get it across another line down the beach. Run to the water’s edge to refill squirt guns if water runs out or to begin the game again.
11. Sand Hopscotch
Bring the popular hopping game to the beach! Using a stick or rock, draw a grid on the sand and use rocks or shells for markers. If the sand is hot, don’t forget your flip flops.
12. “Parachute” Games
Everyone loves parachute games. So grab a large beach towel and a beach ball, hold the ends and sides of the towel with the ball in the middle of the towel, and see how high that ball can bounce. Aim for the sky!
13. Slithery Snake Game
Have two kids or adults hold the ends of a skipping rope down on the sand. Wiggle the rope slowly or quickly depending on the age of the children and have the kids jump over the rope without getting touched by the “snake”.
14. Bubble Blowing
The beach is a great wide space to blow and chase bubbles and if the bubble juice spills on your bathing suit, simply head for the water to wash yourself off.
15. Beach Bowls
A target is thrown on the sand. Players then throw their weighted balls and the one who gets their ball closest to the target wins a point. The game continues until a certain number of points are reached. If you don’t have balls improvise with rocks and other beach treasures. Just always make sure no one is walking by when it’s your turn to throw!
16. Beach Treasure Hunt
Supply each child with a list (can be a written list or a list with pictures) and a bucket in which they can collect their treasures. Have your kids hunt for driftwood, shells, rocks, crabs, something round, something blue, a feather, etc. The list can be as long or as short as you feel your child will be able to handle.
17. Build a Sandman
A sandman can be decorated with pebbles, shells or rocks for eyes and mouths. Children can use their creative skills to use other beach treasures such as feathers or seaweed for their sandman’s noses, arms, clothing, etc.
18. Build a Sand Castle
No trip to the beach is complete without digging in the sand. But why limit yourself to a castle? Let your kids’ imaginations run wild and ask them to make a creation of their own. If you’re building close to the water, make sure you get photographs of all creations before the tide comes in.
19. Picasso in the Sand
Using a stick, hands, shovels, or rocks, have kids draw a picture, a word or letters in the sand or use treasures collected on the beach to make a drawing.
20. Musical Towels
Just like musical chairs, but with towels laid out on the sand instead of chairs. Put some great summer classics on to really get the beach party games going, as long as you’re not disturbing other beach goers, and this simple game will please a group of adults just as easily as a bunch of kids.
