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Posts Tagged ‘beach activities for children’

Beach Activities for Everyone ~ Even Non-Beach-Lovers (Seriously?!)

Posted by E.G.D. on April 25, 2013

Today’s Featured Guest Post Writer is Erica Kritt from The Cruise Web:

The ever-popular Seawall Beach at Galveston Island, Texas

The ever-popular Seawall Beach at Galveston Island, Texas

I confess, I used to hate the beach. I hated the sand getting in everything, I thought it was boring, and on top of that I don’t like my beach bod. However, now I love the beach. Working at a travel agency, destinations that are rich in beaches come up a lot, so I have a lot of knowledge about what to do on a beach. I’d like to share how the beach can be a fun place for everyone from grandpa to baby with a few activities that will be fun for all. Believe me, if I could get over my dislike of the beach, then you or your family members can too.

Looking to Relax
If you can find a quiet beach, you are set, and even if you are at a popular spot, put on your shades and some soothing music and focus in on the waves coming in and out. Lounging on the beach is a great chance to get out in nature, but you can surround yourself with creature comforts, like a pillow, your e-reader and some tropical smoothies.

Most relaxing activity: Many cruise lines have private islands in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, where you can even experience a massage in a cabana right on the beach.

Shelling with Family

Shelling with Family

Looking to Explore
A beach has a lot to offer for both kids and adults looking to discover creatures they’ve never seen, or to find those special shell treasures. In fact, finding a good beach could be an expedition in itself.

Best Exploration: Snorkeling excursions are a chance to see the creatures that lurk just underneath the water. In the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, you’ll have a chance to see beautifully colored fish and interesting coral formations.

Looking to Play
Sand castles aren’t just for kids, on the shore you can try your hand at making sand sculptures. The beach is fun, but things can get really fun in the water. At many beaches you can rent wave runners, or fly high while parasailing over the ocean. Some cruise lines even offer passengers the chance to take a horse ride on the beach and even in the surf.

The Most Fun of All
Anytime you can learn a new skill, it makes your experience that much more rich. Beaches in Hawaii and other tropical destinations offer surf lessons where you can test your balance in the ocean.

As you can see, there really is an activity on the beach for everyone. All you have to do is make sure you visit a beach that offers what you are looking for, read reviews, speak with a travel agent, and get ready for some fun in the sun.

About the Author: Erica Kritt works at The Cruise Web, a travel agency that specializes in cruising. Her favorite beach has to be the one on Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas.
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Posted in Sand and Shoreline | Tagged: , , , | 7 Comments »

Travel Theme: Circles

Posted by Jody on December 9, 2012

Sea Anemones
Sand dollars
Bored beach rock
“Wading”
Make your own circles!
“One of these things is not like the others.”
Raking the sand at Manhattan Beach, California
Moon snail shells
Welcome to Hermosa Beach, California

What a great idea for this week’s Travel Theme!

It’s easy to turn this one into a family friendly beach scavenger hunt! Simply pick a geometric shape for the day and head out to the seashore with the whole clan. The kids won’t even suspect that they’re actually doing math! How cool is that?

Today’s beachy shape is the circle. On our past beach trips we’ve spotted circles on everything from safety signs to rescue vehicles and sand dollars to sea anemones.  How about you?

This week’s Travel Theme is “Circles.”

~~~~

Posted in Today's Special | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

Celebrating World Oceans Day

Posted by Jody on June 8, 2012

Today is World Oceans Day!  Unofficially celebrated every June 8th since it was proposed by the Canadian government in 1992, World Oceans Day was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2008. According to the World Oceans Day website, “On World Oceans Day people around the planet celebrate and honor the body of water which links us all, for what it provides humans and what it represents.”

This year’s theme is Youth: the Next Wave for Change.

“Youth: the Next Wave for Change”

Learning about the ocean is nothing but fun! It doesn’t have to be a preachy-teachy experience.  Just have a good time while getting the kids pondering about what the world’s oceans mean to all of us.

Here are some simple ideas:

  • Take a walk on the beach.
  • Read a book with the little ones. My choices for beginning readers? One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss, Albert the Albatross by Syd Hoff, and Sailing off to Sleep by Linda Ashman. So many books are available to get even the  littlest ones thinking about life in the sea. The Beach Chair Scientist has a great list of ocean themed children’s books to help get started!
  • Visit the aquarium.
  • Watch an ocean themed documentary. Netflix has several to choose from. OK, so it’s not a documentary, but Finding Nemo is a favorite with children of all ages.

“This one has a little star. This one has a little car. Say! what a lot of fish there are!” ~Dr. Suess

Happy World Oceans Day!

Posted in Friday Finds | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

The Sand Beneath Our Feet

Posted by Jody on May 16, 2012

Northern California

When you walk out onto the sandy beach, happy and barefoot, what do look for?  Do you gaze straight ahead, into the sea, at the rolling waves or do you peer even farther out to spot ocean going vessels on the distant horizon?  Maybe you scan the sandy shoreline to see if there are any special beach treasures left behind by the recent high tide.  Are the tanned and toned volleyball players among the first things you scope out?

Southern California

It’s amazing what we could discover if we just looked down! Those seaweed piles (wrack lines) are brimming with miniature sized wildlife, and the sand beneath our feet is home to an abundance of coastal residents.  Beach hoppers, beach pillbugs, sand crabs, and intertidal clams, just to name a few, have all made their home in the ever changing sand.

Texas Gulf Coast

My daughter found a wonderful on-line article that she shared with me. “Sandy Beach Life,” from Marine Science by Genny Anderson, explores common organisms and coastal wildlife found on a typical sandy California beach. Full of terrific photos and information on coastal critters that I didn’t even know existed, it’s a very interesting read! It might be great fun to print up the article and pictures for a scavenger hunt or check list for your family’s next trip to any beach. Enjoy!

Southern California

Sanderling  √

Bladder kelp √

Sand crab √

Beach hopper □

Western Gull √

Wedge Clams √

Beach pillbug □

Kelp fly √

A great day at the beach! √

Link: Marine Science by Genny Anderson: Sandy Beach Life √

Posted in Beach and Coastal Wildlife, Sand and Shoreline | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Beach sand: start your own collection!

Posted by Jody on March 8, 2012

Today’s Featured Writer: Dr. Kristie McLin, Geologist and Smarty Pants

Beach sand: start your own collection!

Did you ever wonder what makes some sands so white, while others are tan, black, or even green, red, or pink? Next time you are at a beach, take a closer look at the sand, and you will be amazed at what you see! Tiny mineral grains, shell and rock fragments, and even glass and gems! Sand is so amazingly different at beaches worldwide that many people make a hobby of collecting the sand at the beaches (and other non-beach locations) that they visit. There is even a website for The International Sand Collectors Society (SandCollectors.org) that can tell you everything that you need to know to get started!

Muir Beach, California. Take a closer look!

All you need is a waterproof container to keep your sand sample in and a permanent marker to write the location where the sample was collected, but a spoon for digging and a magnifying glass or hand-lens to see the sand grains up close are nice accessories. For the serious collector, there are instructions for sifting, tracking, and cataloging your samples.

Be sure to check out the ISCS Photo Gallery for an amazing look at different sands from around the world! The star sands of Tonga are quite amazing!

Kehoe Beach, California

What will your sand collection look like?

Posted in Beach Treasures - Beachcombing, Sand and Shoreline | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

A True Beach Treasure: The Lake Superior Agate

Posted by Jody on September 22, 2011

Lake Superior Agate, cut and polished – Minnesota (Photo by Astynax/Wikipedia Commons)

Minnesota’s State Gem is the Lake Superior agate.  These beautiful red, orange, yellow, white and grey gemstones are generously spread throughout northeastern and north-central Minnesota.  According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:“The agate reflects many aspects of Minnesota. It was formed during lava eruptions that occurred in our state about a billion years ago. The stone’s predominant red color comes from iron, the major industrial mineral in our state. Finally, the widely distributed agate reveals the impact of glacial movement across Minnesota a mere 10,000 to 15,000 years ago.”  The Lake Superior agate can be found in virtually any exposed gravel or pebbly area throughout the state.  Minnesota’s rocky North Shore beaches of Lake Superior are especially good hunting grounds for agate hounds.

Polished Lake Superior Agate – Minnesota (Photo by Diana Stein/Wikimedia Commons)

What a perfect beachcombing find! It’s a lake shore discovery you can display, or with some polishing, wear as unique jewelry.  These richly colored Lake Superior agates can be found on the shoreline as far north as Lake Superior’s Thunder Bay in Ontario, Canada.  They can also be found on the pebbly South Shore beaches of extreme northwestern Wisconsin and on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

It can be a  bit tricky to spot the Lake Superior agates in their natural setting. The State of Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources offers many tips and clues for finding and identifying the official state gem. “Agate Hounds”, a very good full-color brochure on the joys of Lake Superior agate hunting, is available for “young naturalists,” though it has helpful  information for agate hounds of all ages.  Be sure to check it out on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website.

Additionally, “Digging into Minnesota Minerals“  includes sections on  the geologic history of the Lake Superior agate, distribution and clues to finding the state gemstone.

Happy beachcombing!  Have a gem of a day! -J-

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Posted in Beach Treasures - Beachcombing, Great Lakes Beaches | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

 
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