Does your definition of going to the beach for vacationliterally mean spending time at the seashore? If that's the best part of yourfamily holiday, Sandbridge Beach, Virginia, is your dream destination. Here inthis pristine setting, you'll find undisturbed nature and plenty of room forromping, laughing, and playing with the kids.
Here are a few suggestions for fun, family-friendly activitiesthat work well with sand and surf.
Beach Volleyball
It's the ultimate seashore game, ideal for adults and kids ofall ages. Portable sets can be purchased affordably at home and brought withyou. Then it's a simple matter of setting up your net on the sand. Let the serving,shooting, passing, and blocking commence!
Toss a Frisbee
Here's another classic beach game, popular year after year. Tossthose familiar plastic discs for an awesome fresh-air workout. Maybe even try ajunior version of Ultimate Frisbee (similar to football or soccer). The wide,uncrowded shoreline provides plenty of room. If you brought Fido along, youhave a great excuse for a game of frisbee fetch, too.
Fly a Kite
The light winds that crisscross Sandbridge Beach are idealfor flying kites.
Purchase inexpensive kites for the whole family and bringthem with you. They take up very little room when still packaged.
You'll have a blast watching those colorful kites floating inthe breeze. For extra exercise, run along the shore with your kite racing high behindyou. Want to save money and have some additional fun? Make your own kites!
Bury Somebody in the Sand
Seeking an enjoyable activity that requires no special equipment? Have your kids use their plastic spades to shovel sand over you (or one of their siblings). Usually, people get buried clear up to the neck. Then they break out of the sand and start burying someone else. For some reason, younger tots find this endlessly entertaining!
Play Bucket Relay
Give each child a plastic cup. Have all the kids run to theocean, fill their cups, then race back to pour the water into a bucket. Thefirst child to fill his or her bucket wins the game. Extra points for youngsterswho keep from spilling water as they run!
Build a Giant Sandcastle
This pastime is popular season after season because it's a totalblast. Inexpensive, too - all you need are spades and buckets.
Have your kids work together to construct one ginormouscastle. (It's a perfect way to encourage cooperation.) Or let them compete tosee who can craft the most elaborate structure.
To foster creativity, have them build "fromscratch," without the aid of those castle-shaped molds. They're sure torelish the challenge!
When they're all finished, be sure to snap a few pictures topreserve lasting mementos of your family's creativity.
Do the Limbo
How low can you go? Find out with limbo-on-the-beach. Use apool noodle or jump rope as your limbo bar. Have two people hold the ends ofthe bar as each child wriggles underneath. Keep lowering the bar for each freshattempt. The child who can still "do the limbo" when the bar's at itslowest level wins that particular game. (Repeat the game for the grownups toget everyone laughing their heads off.)
Play Bocce Ball
You can get bocce sets just about anywhere at very affordableprices. Or, you can simply improvise and use rocks you've found along theshore.
Pitch a "jack" (target) onto the sand. Then have allthe players throw their weighted balls to see which one gets nearest to thetarget. The closest ball earns a point. Play until someone reaches thedesignated number of points. It's simple but quite enjoyable!
Try Tug of War
This one's super-easy. Draw a line in the sand close to thewater's edge. Have two people stand on either side, equidistant from the line. Thenhave each person tug on one end of the rope. The object is to get control ofthe rope, tug it over the line, and maybe even wrest it out of the other person'shands. In the process, if both players tumble into the waves - well, that justadds to the fun.
Make Sand Angels
Little kids enjoy making snow angels, so they'll love creating sand angels, too. It's simple and self-explanatory: Just lie down in the sand and wave arms back and forth to form the angel's "wings." The perfect pastime for toddlers and preschoolers.
Create Sand Art
It's easy. Use sticks, rocks, and pieces of driftwood to drawpictures in the sand. Embellish the pictures with shells, pebbles, and otherseaside finds. Take photos of all finished "artwork." Your kids willrelish the chance to let their imaginations run free!
And That's Just for Starters
You'll never run out of inventive ways to keep the fam entertainedat Sandbridge Beach, Va. Visit soon and see for yourself.
