On the days leading up to your trip to the beach, have your kids play an ocean version of tic-tac-toe, using Goldfish crackers and Cheerios instead of X's and O's. Call the Cheerios "lifesavers." Then when you're at the beach, make a giant tic-tac-toe board in the sand. Let the kids draw the X's and O's in the sand, using their feet to make the letters.
Who doesn't love making sand castles? Help younger kids scoop sand in a bucket, and teach them the right balance of water and sand. Then let them at it. Make a game out of it by holding a contest for the biggest sand castle or the most decorative one, or for the best use of seashells.
Draw a grid in the sand, making as many squares as you want. (For younger children, you might not want to start with too many.) Draw a similar grid for each child. Place a rock or shell in some squares in the first grid, but not all of them. Allow the kids to study the grid for one minute, then cover it gently with a beach towel. Have the children place rocks in their grids, trying to repeat the pattern. Then uncover the original. The child who has the most objects correctly placed wins. Repeat the game with a larger grid, if desired.
Dig 10 holes in the sand that are in a bowling pin pattern, with four holes in back, three in the second row, two in the third row, and one hole in front. Make sure that the holes are deep enough for a tennis ball. Have a child stand several feet away and try to "bowl" a tennis ball into one of the holes. Assign a point value for each row of holes, or pick a hole that each child can aim for with the tennis ball. Young children may need to stand closer to the target than older children.
