Ah, summer really feels here, doesn’t it? As the weather warms up, many of us feel tempted to frolic off to our nearest coast line. Whether it’s rocky shores or clear sand, there’s so much to learn and experience at the seaside. Animals and sea creatures love to gather, there are lots of fun places to eat, and of course, a jump in the sea is always great fun, if a little chilly! Today we’ll be sharing our favourite things to do at the sea, and our favourite products to help you have the best time while you’re there.
Getting in the sea
Of course, the most natural activity for enjoying the seaside is the magic ocean itself. Providing your children are confident enough to swim and you are close on hand, childhood memories are made frolicking in the water and experiencing the tides! Have a look at our summer collection from Nobodinoz for eco-friendly, organic cotton ponchos and other summer essentials for when little ones need a dry off, too.
Why not take some familiar bath toys with you to paddle with? These will be lovely for very little ones if you’ve spotted a small spot of water they can pop their feet in, with you on hand of course. If you have less confident swimmers and can find a very shallow spot, perhaps some inflatables and armbands will be welcome? We love these armbands from Swim Essentials, available in age 0-2 and 2-6 sizes. A fun swimming ring might also add some joy, or how about this cool flamingo! Remember to always stay very close with less confident swimmers.
Sand and water play
If you have particularly little ones or children who aren’t keen on getting into the waves (which we quite understand) the seaside is a brilliant place for sand and water play with no set-up or clean up! A great place to start is with our beach bundle for building sandcastles, scooping, pouring and making gloopy sand soup. These sand moulds are also fab.
Alternatively, simply bring along bowls, spoons, cups and a pan (if you can handle it!) from home and let your little ones go free with exploring the magic qualities of sand.
Picnics
A seaside picnic is a beautiful thing. There are heaps of places to eat when you visit seaside towns, but there’s something lovely (and of course, budget-friendly) about packing up a picnic and enjoying it al fresco. We have a great range of picnic storage to make sure that your food is kept fresh and tasty. Nobodinoz have a lovely selection of eco-friendly and water-repellant bags (great if things are particularly wet) that will go perfectly with your seaside antics. We love this green option. There is also a sweet selection of waterproof picnic blankets which are easily foldable and quick to pop in the car boot - this vichy pattern is very cute! Plus if you have particularly tiny ones, these changing bags are great for doubling up and minimising the number of bags you have out with you.
Exploring nature
Finally, the seaside is a wonderful place to explore nature. Perhaps you could collect some shells and take these home for sensory play or a mud kitchen - equally dried seaweed, small bits of driftwood and more will make lovely additions to your play.
The sea is also likely to have a fab range of animals that you won’t see closer to home (unless you’re a seaside dweller already!). We love this Seaside Spotter checklist from the Widlife Trust if you could do with a bit of prompting for what to find. The Wildlife Trust also have a great resource sharing all the different UK seaside spots you can visit to really get stuck into the local wildlife.
Oh we do like to be beside the seaside
We love the sea here at Eeny Meeny, and hope that these ideas give you inspiration to explore our wonderful coastline too. Happy exploring!
Emily Hanson
Freelance Writer, Education and Play Specialist
