Beach party on a rainy day

June 30, 2009

It’s never good when it rains in the summer, especially on beach day and the timing couldn't be worse when kids are out of school for summer.

If you can't bring kids to the beach, use some imagination and a good dose of energy and you can surely bring the beach to your kids. Here are some ideas for a rainy indoor beach day.

Pull your kids sandbox into the garage, plug in a bright fluorescent light and you've instantly got a sunny strip of sand on which kids can make sandcastles. If you know the weather's going to be bad, pick up a relaxation tape or CD filled with sounds of the ocean and beach.

Pick a beach-themed movie like The Little Mermaid and have a picnic lunch in the living room. Serve ocean-themed treats like tuna fish sandwiches and finger foods like carrot sticks with peanut butter.

Let kids make their own ice cream sundaes, picking from a couple of flavors and a variety of healthy and treat-worthy toppings.

Finally, older kids might want to make their own sand art using colored sands poured into a couple of sturdy jars for some neat rainy beach keepsakes.