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The beach is a great place to make memories and today I am sharing 5 free things to do at the beach with kids.

Along with fab® Ice Lollies, I want to help you make this a summer of fun with lots of memories for all the family.  I know that mostly it is us Mum’s that lose out during summer, as we are the ones that plan, organise and arrange, so these activities are all Mum friendly, so we can enjoy summer too.

We are so lucky that we live by the seaside, but I think that also make me a little complacent on just how much fun a day at the beach can be.  I have so many fond memories of playing in the sand and hunting for treasures as a child often followed by quickly eating a fab® Ice Lolly before it melted all over me!

This is the sort of fun I want for my boys and the sort of memories I want to make with them. These great beach activities are fun no matter what the weather.

5 free things to do at the beach with kids

Rock Pooling

Rock pooling is so much fun and you can find a miniature world of wildlife trapped in rock pools at low tides.  The best rockpools are found on quiet beaches at low tides and you need to creep up on them and try not to cast a shadow over the water.  If you take a clear plastic container you can fill it with seawater and get a closer look at the crabs, starfish or seaweed you might find.  A small net will help you discover the creatures.  Be sure to leave the rock pool as you found it by putting everything back.

Stone Towers

Our local beach is a mixture of stones and sand and it’s perfect for making stone towers. We often see who can make the tallest tower.  It is a great opportunity to have fun, but also discuss that you need to start with the wider stones to create stability. It isn’t always about building the tallest tower – how about building a tower in the way of the incoming tide and see whose structure lasts the longest. We also play a stone tower stacking game where each person adds a stone and the one that topples the tower is the loser.

Beach Games

The beach is the perfect place for games. The damp sand makes a fabulous canvas for board games and shells, seaweed or pebbles make fab counters for a game where you need to match a row of four similar pebbles in a line (7 across by six down) or checkers (eight squares by eight squares).You could even mark out targets and see who can throw a ball, stone or seaweed the closest.

Beachcombing

We love beachcombing all year round, but often the best time is low tide after a storm. There are so many different treasures to find including shells, seaweed, sponges, sea glass, driftwood and mini beasts. Why not make it a competition and see how many things you can challenge the kids to find.  Just keep an eye out for rubbish.

Skimming stones

This is one of my boys’ favourite beach or waterside activities. They try and work out which stones will go the furthest or whose will bounce the most.

I have 10 beach hacks that you need to see before you go.  Seriously #1 and #3 are genius!