A lightweight frisbee can bring hours of fun for the family at the beach. Frisbee throwing has no hard rules but can be difficult for everyone at first. Once a family member gets the throwing technique correct they will have non-stop fun throwing and catching frisbees. One fun game is frisbee tag where one person is "it" and tries to tag the others by throwing the frisbee at them. The person who is hit first is then "it".
A volleyball net and posts require some set-up, but drawing a line across the sand can be an adequate substitute. Parents and children can choose teams and play against each other. One team stays on one side of the line and the other team stays on the other. A simple rule in volleyball is that the team that serves the ball will gain a point when the other team can not return the serve. Once the ball is served both teams volley the ball over the line until one team misses the ball. If the team that is served misses then the serving team gains a point; if the serving team misses the ball they lose their serve to the other team.
A soft baseball or a wiffle ball and baseball bat are required to play baseball on the beach. The pitcher throws the ball and the hitter tries to hit the ball far enough so he can get to a base. Once the ball is hit and the batter starts running the bases the opposing team tries to catch the ball or throw the ball to a family member to tag the batter. The goal for the pitching team is to get the other team out by striking out the batter or tagging the runners out. Once there are three men out the team in the field goes to bat and the other team pitches. For smaller groups use just a home plate and one base.
Families going the beach might not be able to travel with a sandcastle pail and shovel but they can improvise by using a plastic spoon, fork, knife and cup. They can borrow these items from a restaurant or the hotel they are staying at. Family members are going to be surprised how well a plastic spoon creates smooth surfaces, a fork makes detail etches, and a knife can draw fine lines around the sandcastle. Create teams and have a contest to see who builds the best sandcastle.
Parents and children form two teams. At each end, a soccer goal is designated by placing two objects like two buckets or shirts about ten feet apart on the sand. Each team tries to kick the soccer into the other team's goal. A goalie tries to prevent the soccer ball from coming into the goal. The team who kicks the ball into the other team's goal gets a point. The team with the most points after a certain time period wins the game. Players are allowed to kick with their feet, head, knees, except for the hands.
