Having fun at the beach is easy and carefree this summer.  All it really requires is a little imagination and a curious baby or toddler.  Here are a few ideas to spark the aquatic discoveries and enjoy wonderful family fun at the seashore.

The best part about the beach for your little one is they have a constant supply of water handy for their playtime.  There are so many things you can do and most of it requires a bucket, a shovel and if you really want to get advanced, a plastic trowel and some shells you buy in the store.

• Sea Shell Scavenger Hunt: You can buy some exotic shells and sea dollars if your beach doesn’t have much of its own.  Hide them in the sand and have your little one start hunting. As they find them talk about what it is. Just think of the fun your toddler will have learning the name “Sand Dollar” as they wonder if they can buy ice cream with it.
• Sand castles: Playing with wet sand and discovering you can actually build walls and a tower is amazing to your baby.  Even if they’re not old enough to tip a bucket of sand over on their own, they can still have fun crawling and climbing on one that you build for them. Once you’ve built a tower, show your baby how to stick seashells into it for decoration or poke holes into it for windows.  Let their imagination go!
• Sand Sculptures: You can draw out the shape of a turtle or other sea creature in wet sand and then dig around the outline.  Your little one will love digging away with their hands, trowel and shovel. Pretty soon you’ll have a shape that where you can draw details on the back of the turtle.  Have fun and draw a rainbow or a smiley face. Who says it has to be life like?
• Freestyle Fun: Having a bucket and a shovel is great for digging pits near the water line so it gets filled with each wave, collecting driftwood and shells or just picking up seaweed.  Your baby and toddler will just love the exploration and discovery.

As with any outdoor fun, remember to use plenty of sunscreen.  Remember to reapply sunscreen after your baby has been in the water.  Protective clothing can help with some extra protection like our line of Flap Happy Tshirts and Swim Trunk Sets for baby and toddler boys.  Flap Happy clothes have a UPF of 50+ and are the softest microfiber you can find. And, they are manufactured in the USA!