A small dose of imagination can transform any environment. A beach can be so much more than just a pile of sand – with just a little inspiration it becomes an amazing place to play.

So let’s get outside, have some fun, and maybe even pick up some skills along the way – after all, there’s so much we can learn outdoors.

Beach scavenger hunt

We all know the beach is the best place for buried treasure. So let your little one explore and get creative with a simple scavenger hunt – everything you need is all around you.

• Start by searching all over the beach. Anything can be treasure, from shells to starfish and crabs to coral. If you’re lucky you might even find some pirate gold
• Then take your favourite finds and put them in a special memory box to take home
• An egg carton makes a great treasure box – use the little compartments to keep everything safe and secure
• Once you’ve sorted all your treasure, you can even paint your box in different colours, or decorate it to look like a pirate chest

Make a sand volcano

You’ve heard of building sand castles on the beach, well why not try a sand volcano instead. They might need a little more preparation, but they’re so much more exciting. And it’s a secret science lesson too, but even this one’s best outside the classroom.

• First, take a beach bucket, any will do (but the taller it is the higher the volcano) and pack sand on top and all around it
• Then shape the top of the volcano into a crater by digging out the sand at the top
• Pour a cup of baking soda through your crater into the bucket beneath
• Now the real fun begins: slowly pour in some vinegar and watch as the volcano erupts.
• Make it even more fun by adding a few drops of food colouring to the vinegar to change the colour of your lava
• Keep topping up the baking soda and vinegar to keep your volcano erupting again and again

Feeling inspired? Let’s get outside and get playing.