Beach Arts & Crafts
Make a Shell Bracelet
Use felt, yarn, glue and shells to make a jangly beach bracelet. Family FunSandcasting
Make a treasure to take home with plaster of paris, sand, and shells. Easy! About Family CraftsDine on the Beach by Candlelight
Purchase inexpensive glasses or jars. Fill each with sand about 2/3 full. Place a votive candle in each and light for a magical atmosphere on the beach after dark. About Family CraftsMake a Seashell Picture Frame
This idea uses an inexpensive Lucite frame, sand, shells, and glue. Making FriendsDraw a Dolphin
Pack drawing paper and pencils for your beach trip. Use the book on how to draw ocean animals or take a look at this great video tutorial by children's book illustrator, Jan Brett.
Play and Learn at the Beach
Take a large magnifying glass to inspect shells and other beach finds. Use the GeoSafari Seascope for underwater investigations. Science Kids at Home suggests using a magnifying glass or microscope to inspect sand with these ideas.
Learn how to turn saltwater into fresh with this easy distiller demonstration project from PBS Zoom Kids. Also from Zoom, use construction skills to build a dam. Our favorite Zoom project for the beach is to make a solar cooker to make s'mores.
If your family travels to the same beach location each year, an interesting project is to measure and track the erosion and sea level of your beach. Though this isn't a difficult activity, it does take some preparation; so, visit the University of Rhode Island Estuarine Science website to print the instructions.
Visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium web site for many printable activities related to ocean habitats. Surf around the site for fun and games related to rocky shores, sandy beaches, open ocean, and more. One of our favorites is the Make an Aquascope activity for underwater viewing.
