Spending time with our offspring can bring some of our most rewarding and treasured memories, from the first time they rode their bicycle to the first sandcastle they built. Our children are our lives and often, their growth is what defines us as parents. We as parents like to think we make every moment we spend with our child, a worthwhile and a fun experience. Here are a few games to play with your children the next time you visit the sandy fun-house otherwise known as the beach……

If you build it they will come

When I look back at my childhood and days that we, as a family spent at the beach, all I can remember are the amazing sandcastles we built. It sounds a little cliché and can seem a little boring for you as an adult, but building sand castles as a child, truly is good fun. Make sure you take some cool tools to build with, such as buckets, spades and even some cutlery to etch in the finer details, here is nothing more annoying than having to build a castle with just your bare hands! Remember, if you build it, they will come and jump on it. Who are they, you ask? Anyone and everyone, the next best thing to building a sand castle….. is destroying one.

Frisbee never gets old

Frisbee at the beach has been around almost as long as the Yo Yo, and can still be to this day seen at beaches around the globe. The trick to having a good time throwing a Frisbee at the beach is to make sure you are in some shallow water first. If you are in shallow water first, then you and your child can dive to catch the wayward throws and enjoy at refreshing splash at the same time. There are a multitude of different types of Frisbees on the market, but the trick is to let your child choose his or her own. This will give them a sense of ownership and will make them more enthusiastic when the game begins.

Water Ball

The great thing about playing games with children at the beach is that more often then not they will land on something soft. Luckily the sand and the ocean are both forgiving surfaces that can make playing games a lot more fun, and worry free. So grab a football, tennis ball or any other type of ball that can be thrown (and will float) and set to the sea. You can have a couple of players at each end (choose your own distance) and simply throw the ball up in the air to each other, allowing the other players to compete for the ball and hopefully take some spectacular catches!

Bury the parent!

This game is not going to be overly fun for the more up tight parents amongst us, but can certainly pull a laugh from the children. Think about it, what can be more fun than burying your parent up to his or her neck! You will be met with cackles and laughter the whole way along and make sure you get your child to take a photo afterwards. You can sit back and laugh at the photograph later in the day, perhaps over some ice cream.

Flying a kite

Children truly love to marvel at the simple wonders of the world, such as flying, running or swimming. Unfortunately, humans have yet to master the art of flying without machinery, but we can certainly imitate it. Build a kite with your child a couple of days before heading to the beach, allow them to paint it themselves and promise to help them fly it. Teaching your child something new can be a liberating feeling as a parent and it can be an awe-inspiring experience for a child to build something, and then watch it fly. Spend some time teaching them to launch it, fly it and then guide them as they watch on with glee in their eyes. It is the simple things in life that make it worthwhile.

Mike has been an active blogger in the parenting community, offering tips and ideas on how to entertain kids. Mike is a father of two, who spend of lot time looking for new activities and toys online. When he is not working, he loves spending time with his kids.