BEACH GAMES
BEACH GAMES FOR ALL AGES
BOBBING FOR WORMS
These beach games are especially fun for
boys. Float some gummy worms in a shallow pool of water and let the
children bob for worms. The boys especially will love the ooey- gooey
challenge!You can make the game harder for older children
by setting a timer and seeing how many worms each player can collect
during the allotted time. Cover empty cans with brown
construction paper and label it “BAIT”. Fill it half full with sand and
let the kids put the collected worms in the can when it is their turn.
It is a fun idea and makes it easy to keep count of the slimy
treasures!
MARBLES AND PAIL
Give each child a sand pail and put twenty multi-colored marbles in
each pail. The children then begin to trade jelly beans, attempting to
get as many of the same color as they can. They must keep their stash hid in the pail though as they trade and negotiate. Play a song off a Beachboys CD or set a timer and when time is up, the player with the most same colored marbles wins.
THE EGG RACE
Prior to the party, boil and color some eggs. Divide the party into two
teams and have them form two lines. Give the first child in each line a
spoon and an egg. The players then put the spoon in their mouths and
the egg on the spoon. On the count of “three” each must make it to the
sand pail and deliver the egg in his or her spoon.
If the egg drops
or is touched, that team has to start over, beginning with the child
that was originally first. If the player makes it to the pail with the
egg intact, he then runs back to the line and gives his spoon to the
next child in line who is given an egg to get to the and pail following
the same rules. The team that has the most eggs in their pail at the
end of the race wins.
BUILDING CASTLES IN THE SANDChildren
of all ages love to make castles in the sand, so let them have at it.
Divide the group into threes and give each group some supplies: a sand
pail and shovel, some sand castle molds, some popsicle sticks, a handful
of toothpicks, a few old kitchen items like plastic utensils, measuring
cups and small bowls. Have the groups work together to make a sand creation and then give prices for each castle. You can judge them according to the biggest, best and most creative.
BEACH GAMES FOR OLDER CHILDREN
THE BASKET CASEFill a basket or bucket full of things that
have to do with playing in the sand like a shovel and pail, a gummy
worm, plastic bugs, a sun hat, sunglasses, a toy dump truck, a mud pie
pan, a sand sifter, plastic fish, etc. You can use numerous things for
this beach game. Cover the container with a beach towel and then
uncover it so the children can observe what is inside. Give them 3
minutes and cover it back up. The children must write down as many of the items as they can remember. The player with the most correct answers wins.
HANDS FULL OF SAND RELAYDivide
the group into two teams. It’s always fun to let them think of a team
name and interesting to see what they come up with. Have each
form a line at the designated starting point. Provide each team with a
large bucket full of sand. Set one large container at the finish line
for each team. The object is for each player to race to the finish line container to deliver as much sand as they can hold in their hands. The team who fills up the bucket first wins!
ABC SAND GAMEPurchase two sets of Alphabet Sand Molds . They are inexpensive and loads of fun, educational as well.
Divide
the group into two teams and give them each a set of molds and an area
of slightly damp sand. Have them work together to mold as many words as
they can think of in the allotted time. Five to ten minutes is
usually great.Each team gets five points for every word that is spelled
correctly and two points for every letter in it.
KING OF THE SAND HILLThis game is loads of fun and is a safer variation to the old game “King of the Hill”. Make
a mound of sand or dirt and choose one child to be “it”. “It” stands
on the mound and is king. Arm the king with a water balloon and let the
other children try to pop it. If a player succeeds, he or she is then
the king and gets a water balloon to defend the kingdom with.
BEACH GAMES FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN
HIDE AND SEEKHide sand toys in a
sandbox and let the children scramble to find them. Give them sand
pails to put the items in and see who can find the most.
DOGGY, DOGGY, WHERE’S YOUR BONE?Dogs love to bury bones in the sand so why not make a game of it and add this to your beach games?Have one child sit in a chair with his or her back turned to the rest of the children. The child in the chair is the dog. Hide a dog bone under the chair. Now pick one of the children to go up and quietly steal the bone. The rest of the children will then sing, “Doggy Doggy, where’s your bone? Somebody stole it from your home.” The
dog has three chance to guess who stole the bone and if he guesses
correctly, he gives up his or her seat to the one who stole the bone.
If he or she doesn’t guess correctly, he or she is the dog for another
round.
SAND TIPThis beach game is a
blast. Balance a large bowl on a two liter soda bottle and let the
children take turns adding a shovel of sand to the bowl. If the bowl tips over on a player’s turn, he or she is out. Play until there is only one person left who is the winner. Everyone who tries is always a winner though.
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