What can you do with your children during a day at the beach? Here’s a list of outdoor games for kids to enjoy with your little ones while on a beach holiday in one of our apartments in Lido di Jesolo or at one of the wonderful camping villages in Caorle and Eraclea Mare.
You’ll find a mix of traditional outdoor games that children can enjoy on their own, as well as fun activities that bring mum and dad into the action. If you’re looking for more ideas to enjoy with friends, take a look at our guide to beach games – perfect for playing together in a group!
Traditional Outdoor Games on the Beach
- Giant Sandcastles
What you need: Buckets of different sizes, spades, sand moulds and decorations
Players: Any number
How to play: Let your imagination run wild and build enormous sandcastles and fortresses. Decorate them with your prettiest shells and other beach treasures. This is one of the most popular outdoor games for kids!
- Marble Run
What you need: Marbles, spades and sand moulds of different shapes
Players: Any number
How to play: Use a spade to dig a fantastic track in the sand, complete with twists, turns and obstacles. Place some sand moulds along the way to create little holes that the marbles must get past. Add as many obstacles as you like and see whose marble makes it to the finish line first!
- A Snowman Made of Sand
What you need: Damp sand and accessories for the eyes and nose
Players: Any number
How to play: Make three balls of damp sand in different sizes, packing them tightly so they hold their shape. Stack them from largest to smallest, then decorate your sandy snowman with shells and twigs to create the eyes, nose, mouth and arms.
- Decorate Seashells
What you need: Seashells and paints
Players: Any number
How to play: After a little walk along the shoreline to look for shells, why not turn them into colourful little masterpieces? Pick a shell, grab your paints and decorate it with your favourite colours and patterns.
- The Bucket Relay Race
What you need: Buckets and a large container to collect the water
Players: Any number
How to play: This is a classic relay race that starts at the water’s edge and ends where you’ve placed a large container on the beach.Divide into two teams. When someone shouts “Go!”, the first player in each team fills their bucket with water, then hurries back to pour it into the large container. The next player takes their turn, and so on. The first team to fill the container wins!
Games to Play with Mum and Dad
- Sand Blanket
What you need: Various objects and sand
Players: Any number, each playing individually
How to play: Each player brings an object that is neither too small nor too large. Place all the objects in the middle of the playing area. The youngest player starts, and turns then continue clockwise.Each object is placed on the sand. When it’s their turn, a player uses both hands to pick up a handful of sand and cover an opponent’s object of their choice. The same object can be covered more than once.A player is eliminated when their object is completely buried in the sand. The winner is the player whose object avoids being fully covered until the end!
- Tug of War
What you need: A rope
Players: Four or more
How to play: Divide into two teams, one at each end of the rope. Each team pulls towards its own side, trying to move the other team across a marked line. The team that manages to pull the rope and move its opponents over the line wins. Get ready for plenty of laughs and team spirit!
- Water Volleyball
What you need: A ball
Players: Any number
How to play: Stand in a circle with mum and dad and pass the ball around, trying not to let it fall into the water. Between jumping to catch the ball and paddling over to retrieve it, you’ll get plenty of exercise while having fun together! Choose a shallow, safe area and make sure children are always supervised by an adult.
