Back Yard Beach

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Treat your kids to a day at the Beach!

By Andrea King-Dalton

Even if you don't live close enough to the water to enjoy a day at the beach you can still have a great time enjoying the sand in your own back yard. So put on your sandals and slather on some sunscreen because these beach activities will keep you and your kids busy for hours! In four easy steps you can create a day at the beach that your kids will never forget and if you're fortunate enough to live close enough to the real thing than you can take these activities with you! All you need is some time and a little imagination to create the beach in your own backyard.

Step 1: Fill a small pool with water and another one with sand.

Step 2: Make some fun snacks like "Sand dollars", "Banana Boats" and "Mermaid Potion"

Banana Boats

What you'll need: banana, marshmallows, chocolate, tin foil. What to do: Take a banana and leaving the skin on, slice down the middle the long way. Place broken up marshmallows (or mini ones) and small bits of chocolate in the banana slit. Wrap entire banana in tin foil and warm in oven (or over the fire) until chocolate and marshmallows begin to melt. Once warmed, scoop it out with a spoon. Very delicious!

Sand Dollars

What you'll need: peanut butter, round crackers, Parmesan cheese and/or wheat germ.
What to do: Spread peanut butter on round crackers. Sprinkle "sand" (Parmesan cheese and/or wheat germ) on top.

Mermaid Potion

What you'll need: blue food colouring, powdered lemonade.
What to do: Add a few drops of blue food colouring in each section of your ice cube tray, fill with water and freeze. Use warm water to prepare powdered lemonade mix and then drop in one or two blue ice cubes and stir. Your lemonade should turn green as the ice cubes melt.

Step 3: Play some games at your backyard beach…

Great Lake Memory

Cut out or draw pairs of lake creatures (turtles, pike, trout, perch, bass, minnows, tadpoles, etc.). Glue them onto squares of construction paper. Shuffle the "deck" and lay them face down, taking turns flipping until pairs are found.

Beach Pail Relay

This is a game that will not only help develop balancing skills but it will also help to keep your child cool in the heat! Played either on the beach or in the back yard it is sure to delight. Purchase small beach pails - the smallest you can find (dollar stores have all sizes). Have your child fill their pails from the lake if you're at the beach or from a small pool if you're in the backyard, then have them run to a waiting large bucket. Repeating it until the bucket overflows! If you have more than one child make it a race and give them each their own pails and their own bucket to fill up.

In the Sand

Tic Tac Toe - draw a tic tac toe board in the sand with sticks making two sets of parallel lines (#). Taking turns placing either an "X" or an "O" in one of the boxes to make a line of three. Variation: use shapes instead of "X's" and "O's". Tracing Letters - draw the alphabet in the sand. If your child is old enough have them draw their letters or make words in the sand. If your child is just learning to write their letters than you can draw letters for them to copy. Counting Rocks - Collect rocks or shells and have your child use them to write their numbers in the sand.

Beach Ball

Write a different number (using a permanent marker) on each section of an inflated ball. Toss or roll the ball to your child. Have him/her name the number that is closet to their hand & then make an activity - such as clapping, jumping, etc. for you to do together. Eg. If your child's hand in on the number 6 and the activity they choose if jumping then you need to jump 6 times.

Step 4: Make some awesome crafts so you'll remember your day at the beach!

Lasting Impressions

What you need: Plaster of Paris, water buckets, sand (preferably at the beach but a back yard sand box will do if a trip to the beach is out!)
What to do: Make Plaster of Paris according to directions on box. Have your child make a footprint in the sand, pour the plaster of paris into the impression and allow it to dry. Voila, you now have a fabulous memory of a special day.

Beach Faces

What you'll need: Beach stuff- shells, pebbles, driftwood, feathers, etc., Plaster of Paris, water buckets, string/yarn.
What to do: Collect stuff for facial features. Clear an oval in the sand about 5" tall and 2" deep. Make your face with the collected beach stuff and yarn for hair. Mix the plaster and then pour it into the oval. Tie a knot in a string and lie in the plaster to form a hanger. Allow your mask to dry. Dig the mask out before it hardens completely, being careful not to yank it out.

Sea Shell Necklace

What you'll need: shells, beads, noodles, string/plastic gimp,
What to do: Secure on end of the string or gimp by tying a knot around a bead or noodle. Have your child thread shells or beads onto string or plastic gimp to make a necklace.