Free Family Fun At The Beach
On our recent family vacation we decided to stay within a short driving distance. We were with my parents and rented two condos in Galveston, TX. Having 4 children means you have to be creative. Creative about how to occupy their time and also creative in finding activities that work within your budget. This particular trip we had a very small budget. How did we occupy our time at the beach?
SWIM
This one is pretty obvious. Of course you are going to swim at the beach. Bring a float or body board from home and ride the waves to add another layer of fun!
BUILD SAND CASTLES
Contrary to popular belief, you do not need buckets and shoves the build sand castles, your hands work just fine. But, if your kids beg to have what everyone else does, head over to the dollar store and grab a couple buckets.
BURY EACH OTHER IN THE SAND
(not too deep and keep their head above the sand) My kids thought this was hilarious and each had to have their turn being buried. Plus, it is a great workout for the adults. LOL
LOOK FOR SEASHELLS
All kids love seashells. Try finding the most, finding the prettiest, finding a whole shell (Galveston had mostly broken shells), or make a specific seashell scavenger hunt. For older kids it could even be a selfie scavenger hunt. You may even find a crab inside!
HAVE A SEAWEED SCAVENGER HUNT
You can find all kinds of things in seaweed as we found out on this trip. You can look at the seaweed that has washed up on the beach or what is floating in the water. You can find:
*shrimp
*seahorses
*crabs
*sea beans
*sargassum fish
GHOST CRABBING
Are you feeling adventurous? My kids, especially my 9 year old, are not afraid of anything. When I told them about ghost crabbing they could not wait to go. All you really need for this activity is some light. You can use your cell phone or a flashlight from home. I decided to buy a couple $1 flashlights at Dollar General. I already had 1 but bought a few more. At sunset we went down to the beach, swam for a little while until it was almost dark, and then watched as the crabs began to come out of the holes in the sand. To kick it up a notch my kids wanted to catch them so they could get a little closer. We brought our sand buckets and put some sand in the buckets. Then, we watched as the crabs dug holes and climbed all over each other. My 4 year old especially loved watching them. Once we were done for he night we just dumped the bucket out and they all returned to their holes in the beach.
Even Dad joined in on the fun. He may have even enjoyed it more than the kids. Maybe ;)
Remember, family fun does not have to bust your budget. Go out, enjoy nature, and have fun! Don't forget, contact me to find a family friendly condo in your ideal vacation location.
