A day at the seaside: things to do

child on beach building a sandcastle

Collaborative post

A trip to the beach will always be the ultimate way to spend a fun-packed day out with the kids. Those inland distractions just can’t compete! But if you’re going to get the most out of your seaside break, then you’ll need to pick the right resort and the right activities. You can get tickets for a trip down from East Croydon to Brighton in around forty minutes,  so there’s no excuse even for inner-city folk not to indulge themselves. Let’s take a look at a few of the main reasons that the beach is best! 

Skimming Stones

This is one of the oldest distractions there is. People have been doing it since before recorded history, and it takes quite a bit of practice to get really good at it. The world record is 88 skips, but I reckon you should consider six or seven a pretty good return. You’ll need a pretty calm day, and an ample supply of suitably-flat pebbles (the gathering of which is sure to kill some time!)   young girl pebble skimming on pebbly beach

 

Sandcastle-building

The art of building sandcastles, like that of skimming stones, requires a lot of patience, and some suitably wet sand. You’ll need a bucket and spade for everyone who’s helping, and a little bit of co-ordination. If you intend to try your hand at the really impressive fine-detail stuff, then paintbrushes and toothpicks are worth bringing, too.

Rockpool Exploration

Once you’re done building your masterwork, it’s time to take the kids along the nearby rock pools. You want to do this when the tide is out, and to ensure that you pick somewhere that the kids aren’t going to slip and hurt themselves. Put the crabs back when you’re done fishing them out.   Close up of small net with tiny shrimp  

Food & Drink

One of the best things about being by the seaside is the food available. If there’s a pier with an amusement park, then the chances are there’ll be candy-floss. And ice-cream parlours are to be found on the front of just about every beach in the country. You might assume that the country’s best fish are to be found close to the water – and you’d be right. But that doesn’t mean that every seafront restaurant and chippy is going to serve excellent fish and chips, so make sure you do your homework first.

Punch & Judy

A puppet show is just one of many distractions available on the seafront. This is an art form that’s dying out a bit, so if you appreciate it, then it’s worth shelling out a few quid to support the puppeteer. If enthusiastic puppetry isn’t your thing, then there are plenty of other forms of off-beach entertainment at most good seaside resorts – so be sure to check them all out!

Swimming

Finally, we come to the most obvious seaside activity: getting into the sea and having a swim. Young children will need to be supervised at all times, and equipped with suitable flotation equipment. Be sure that you know what the warning flags mean, as you don’t want to be out there when it isn’t safe. Disclosure – This is a collaborative post

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