8 Games to Play with Kids at the Beach
April 30th, 2011 by Dan F
If you’re looking for ideas for games to play with kids while passing the time on your summer vacation, here are 8 games that children of all ages will enjoy at the pond or beach.
1. Monkey in the middle. For this classic game, all you need is a ball and 3 or more people. With 3 people, one player (the “monkey”) is in the middle and tries to intercept the ball while the other two play catch with it. If the monkey gets the ball, he becomes one of the throwers, and the last person who touched the ball becomes the new monkey. With 4 people, it works best to have two monkeys. You can play with the same rules as just described, OR you can play “Team” Monkey in the Middle: if either monkey gets the ball, both monkeys become the new throwers. This game can be played on the sand but works especially well in the water. You can play in shallow water if you only want to get your ankles wet, or you can play in deeper water so the game becomes a mix of swimming and running.
2. Diving for rings. You can buy rings or other water toys at a store that sells pool toys. If you don’t have any real diving rings, get creative. Instead of neon rings or rods, use bright-colored rocks, seashells, or other natural items that sink in water. There are different ways to play with your new diving toys:
- With slow-sinking objects, throw them all in the water at once and then try to catch them all before they touch the bottom. Or throw one far away and race to get it before it touches the sandy pond floor.
- With quick-sinking objects, throw them in and then try to find them on the bottom. The game can be played in whatever depth of water you feel comfortable with, based on the swimming skill level of the players.
3. Paddleball. At minimum, you’ll need a paddle and a ball. Different kinds of paddles, balls, and paddle/ball combinations create different levels of difficulty. With 2 players you can cooperate in seeing how long you can keep the ball in the air. This game works great on the beach. If you get tired and your kid wants to keep playing, tell him to see how many times he can keep hitting the ball without letting it touch the ground.
4. Touch football. All you need is a football and a group of people. In two-hand touch, both hands on the player carrying the ball means he’s down. If you’re the quarterback, make sure you call a huddle before the snap to go over the play with your teammates. To keep it simple, play with four downs (no additional first downs) and no blitzes.
5. Tag. When you play this timeless game in the pond or ocean it adds a whole new element: You can hide underwater. Hold your breath and hope whoever’s “it” isn’t looking your way when you come up for air.
6. Cards or board games. Bring a deck of cards or your favorite board game to the beach and play on a towel or blanket. This is especially satisfying on a sunny day when you’re drying off from playing in the water. Play tic-tac-toe in the sand as a last resort.
7. Bodyboarding (or “boogieboarding”) works better in the ocean than the pond because there are real waves at the ocean beaches. If you’re new to boogieboarding, watch others to learn the technique. If you don’t see anyone else with a board, you may have to walk down the beach a bit. Sometimes one section of a beach is better for catching waves than the rest of the beach.
8. Building in the sand. You can make a traditional sand castle or build something more unusual. If one person will volunteer, bury him up to his neck. This will result in great photo opportunities.
