#10 Family Friendly Beach Games to Enjoy this Summer

If you’re heading to the beach this summer to spend some quality time with loved ones then make sure you stock up on some great ideas for when your little ones get bored with building sandcastles. Here are some fun games to make your beach time even more memorable:

#1 Beach Darts

A great game for all ages, this involves drawing a dart board in the sand with different points for each ring. You don’t need darts, you can substitute with shells or small rocks. Each player tosses their ‘dart’ and whoever gets the best score wins. Just make sure you don’t set up your sand dart board too near other sunbathers!

#2 Fill the Bucket

Set up a water relay race for the little ones (or big ones). You only need is a plastic cup and beach bucket each. Place the buckets in a row on the sand and get the children to run to the water, fill up their cup, run back and pour it in the bucket. The first one to fill their bucket with water is the winner. This can also be played as a team effort and is a great way to wear out the kids!

#3 Shadow Tag

As long as the sun’s shining and there’s a group of you, shadow tag can be a lot of fun. Decide who is going to be ‘it’ and this person will try to tag another’s shadow. The tricky part is trying to keep yourself between the ‘it’ player and your shadow. Once someone has been tagged then they become ‘it’ and try to get somebody else’s shadow!

#4 Mini Golf

Before heading out to the beach, buy some cheap plastic toy golf clubs and balls, if you don’t already own one, for using in this game of beach mini golf. Set up some interesting targets in the sands to aim at, like plastic cups laid on one side or even little holes dug in the sand. Hey presto – you have a game of mini golf!

#5 Beach Volleyball

Who doesn’t love a game of beach volleyball? If you’re pros then you might have a proper net and ball but for younger kids, a beach ball and towel will suffice. Many beaches have nets already set up but they can be a little high for small children. The aim of the game is to see how many times you can keep the ball going back and forth without it touching the sand.

#6 Squirt Ball

There’ll be giggles galore with this fun game. You’ll need a beach ball each and a water gun. Draw a line in the sand and each child has to spray their ball as much as they can with water to push their ball over the finish line first. When guns run out of water, a quick dash to the water’s edge to refill as fast as you can!

#7 Towel Tug of War

If there are a few of you then divide into teams. Tie all your beach towels together, draw a line in the sand and each team then takes their position behind the line. Start pulling until one of the team is pulled over the line and loses.

#8 Rock in the Cup Challenge

This is a simple idea but surprisingly entertaining. All you need is a plastic cup or a beach bucket to make it easier for younger players. Find a good-sized pebble, stone or shell and take turns aiming to get it into the cup or bucket. Move the cup further away to increase the challenge.

#9 Guess the Sand Art

Encourage all those budding Picassos out there with a drawing in the sand guessing game. All you need for this is a stick, shovel or just hands to draw with and a creative imagination. Each take turns to draw an object, word or phrase and other team members have to guess it to win.

#10 Beach Bowling

All you need for this easy, fun game is a few empty bottles and a ball slightly heavier than a beach ball. You can also pick up a super cheap plastic bowling set form a dollar store. Set up your pins or bottles and let the younger children stand a bit closer to give them a chance to hit them down.