Staying Seaside: Top Tips for Enjoying a Family Vacation by the Ocean
Family Vacation by the ocean
Even the most resolutely beach-avoiding adults have to admit it—with children, the easiest way to have an enjoyable family vacation is to head for the sea. The beach has it all: sand that you can do amazing things with, water that moves in fascinating ways, rocks to climb on…and ice creams.
Stay Safe
The seaside is not without its risks, so in order to enjoy it, you need to be sure that your kids are safe.
- If they are old enough to understand the concept of danger, agree some ground rules appropriate to their ages. Fix a signal to use if they get into trouble in the water. Younger children should never be more than a few seconds’ sprint away.
- The kids need to look out for each other. If it is agreed that they go off together somewhere, they must stick together and have a simple way of letting you know about problems.
- Talk to the lifeguards. They must get bored sometimes, so they should be happy to chat about the weather conditions, the state of tides, and danger points. Observe any warning flags.
- Understand about rip tides, how to spot them and how to deal with them. A lifeguard will be happy to advise you.
- Watch out for jellyfish. Some species have a dangerous sting which can immobilize people in the water.
Have Fun
The beach offers great opportunities for families to have fun together. Apart from the obvious entertainments such as beach baseball and building sandcastles, you are limited only by your imagination.
- On a sunny day, make a sundial with a long stick. Try to guess where the shadow will be on the hours and decorate these locations with objects found on the beach. Mark the point at which you will go for an ice cream.
- For older kids, have at least one day with a really big adventure. For instance, you might take them on an ocean fishing excursion. Equipped with Blue Water Candy lures, and with an experienced fisherman at the helm, you could come back with some awesome stories.
- Arrange a scavenger hunt. Each child gets a bucket and a list to things to search for and bring back. If you haven’t got paper, they can bring back each item as they find it and get the next on the list.
- Make your own kite. You can find instructions online. It’s probably a good idea to have a spare kite which actually works in case yours doesn’t!
- Explore tidal pools. They are a fascinating microcosm of tiny life forms, which can give you lots to talk about.
Memories
Your idea of relaxing may be to read trashy novels, to sit around in bars, or to visit art galleries. That’s fair enough, but these things may have to wait until you have the time to yourself. While you are with your kids, seaside vacations can be hard work, but the memories will stick with you (and them) for a lifetime.
Hayden Nicholls loves the ocean and the outdoors and never misses an opportunity to make the most of his surroundings. Hayden also loves finding new ways to keep his family and guests entertained outdoors regardless of the season or weather. – Travel Feeder
About The Author
Cecil Lee
The author is an avid traveler and photography hobbyist who loves to share with others his travel and photo-taking experience in many popular tourist destinations around Europe, Asia and Australasia. Read the exciting stories with many photos captured on his journeys.
