Whether you’re heading to the beach with your friends for a party, taking the kids for some fresh air fun, or looking to relax and work on your tan, no beach outing is complete without beach games.
There are so many fun things to do at the beach. You can go swimming, tanning, have a picnic, read, or simply spend time with the people you love. Eventually, however, you’ll want to do more than just laze around soaking up the sun.
Beach games are the perfect way to engage, stay fit, and have fun at the beach. Not all beach games require equipment or skill, making them perfect for all ages and ability levels. There are so many variations you can make to beach games, the options are limitless, but sometimes it’s hard to come up with a game idea. Not to worry, we’ve got you covered.
What Makes a Game a Beach Game?
To begin, let’s take a look at what separates beach games from other games. Firstly, there is the obvious factor of location. Many games simply won’t work at the beach because you cannot play them in sand or water. Games that require equipment must have equipment that is either waterproof or sand-friendly.
Playing jump rope in the sand probably won’t be all that thrilling and is a good way to get sand in your eyes. Hide-and-seek is dependent on the location you play it in. Most beaches consist of open sand and even more open water. It’s not ideal for trying to find a hiding spot.
Games that work well at the beach are games that have been specifically designed for or adapted to sandy and wet environments. This can be as simple as waterproofing the equipment or as difficult as making an entirely new game. Regardless, to be a beach game, it needs to have three qualities: it must be fit to the environment, it needs to be adaptable, and it needs to be fun.
The very basis of beach games is that they are played for casual fun. No one is looking to play pro basketball on the beach.
Games to Play at the Beach
Now that we know what makes a game into a good beach game, we can take a look at some of the absolute best beach games. These games are perfect for most ages and can be adapted for ability levels. Each game requires minimal to no equipment and is easy to set up and learn. They are also really, really fun!
Beach Volleyball
Beach volleyball is the epitome of fun beach games. It is a classic. Beach volleyball requires a net, a ball, and some fun-loving, energetic people to play with. You can set it up anywhere with sand and enough space.
The rules for proper beach volleyball are as follows: two teams of six each, each side can hit the ball three times before passing it over the net, if the ball hits the ground within the boundary lines or the ball is hit more than three times on one side, the opposing team scores a point.
Some good ways to vary the game to account for skill level and equipment are: substitute a towel or other object for the net to save on supplies and adjust for height, play the game as one team as see how long you can pass the ball back and forth, or play the game in shallow water to slow movement.
Beach volleyball is the quintessential beach game. There are so many ways to play it and it offers hours of fun.
Bocce Ball
Bocce ball is another classic beach game that anyone can enjoy. It has simple rules that can be easily adjusted, it is perfect to play on the sand, and it provides hours of fun for both competitive and casual beach-goers. A bocce set is required.
Playing bocce ball is a little like combining bowling and curling. There are two teams with four bocce balls each. Each team takes turns tossing out their balls in underhand throws towards the jack. At the end of the round, the ball closest to the jack decides the winning team.
One of the best parts about bocce ball is that you can play it with two to eight players. The difficulty of the game is determined by how far out the jack is tossed at the start. If you want to make it extremely challenging, throw the jack a longer distance. The bocce balls are heavier and therefore harder to throw than the jack. This game is suitable for any age or ability.
Limbo
Limbo is a beach classic. All you need is a pole and some friends. You can even use a thin branch if you don’t have a pole lying around, or use one of the supports from a beach volleyball net. If you want to spice up your limbo game, bring along some thematic music and prizes.
Get a couple of friends to take turns holding the pole or use a limbo set to make sure the level is consistent. One of the benefits of playing limbo at the beach is that if you fall, there is a soft landing. Try varying the speed of how you play the game or add challenges like penalties (i.e., jumping jacks for touching the bar).
Limbo is a good choice for beach games as it is adaptable for different ability levels. Traditionally, you go under the bar bending backwards and your head goes under last, but you can choose different methods of going under to adjust for mobility, add an extra challenge, or just vary the fun.
Sand Games
There is an endless number of activities you can do using just the sand at the beach. If you brought buckets and shovels, you are all set. Digging in the sand, burying people, making sand sculptures, and looking for shells are just a few of the activities you can do at the beach.
Sand games are great because they are completely customizable, they do not require much equipment, and anyone of any age or ability can play them. Build a castle with a moat with grandpa, or let the kids bury you. There are so many fun things to do just with sand!
If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, why not combine a few sand games? Try conducting a timed seashell hunt and then use those shells to decorate sandcastles. Once you finish with that part, why not try to draw roads connecting all the castles so you can visit each other. You can even make it a team contest to see who can build a better castle.
Tug of War
Tug of war is the perfect beach game for large groups. All it requires is a rope and something to mark the winning points. Towels are a superb choice for that. You can lay them down at each end to show where the middle of the rope must pass to win.
If you don’t have anything better, you can also tie a towel around the rope or just tie a knot in the rope itself to mark out the midpoint. The longer the rope is, the more people can join in.
When it comes to tug of war, the more people there are the better the game will go. A large part of the fun is when everyone gets riled up with the effort to win. Tug of war makes for an especially good beach game because the sand makes it difficult to keep your footing.
Some fun variations for tug of war include: mixing up the teams, playing in the water, and facing away when pulling. Different teams such as kids versus adults, girls versus boys, and people that went swimming versus people that didn’t make the game more interesting. As well, playing in the water or turning away from the center adds difficulty.
Badminton
If you prefer beach games that require equipment or get you moving, badminton is the premier choice. You will need a badminton net, a shuttlecock, and rackets. To play badminton, separate into two teams of two, serve underhand diagonally. The rules are much the same as volleyball; whoever fails to return the shuttlecock, or sends it out of bounds, gives a point to the other team.
You can also play badminton without a net or boundaries and make it a game of passing instead. Another fun variation is to play it in the water. Try playing singles. Or, if you’re really looking for a challenge, play in four teams across two perpendicular nets. This turns it into something akin to 4-square. It makes the game extra fun because you never know who will be passed to at any given moment.
Horseshoes
Horseshoes really is the ideal beach game. It is very similar to bocce ball but has a different scoring system. When playing horseshoes, points are awarded to all players that land close to the peg rather than just the closest one. Getting a ringer is worth three points, while being closer to the peg than an opponent’s shoes is worth two points.
Sand is preferable for playing horseshoes as it softens the landing and prevents slipping. If you do not own a horseshoe set, try playing with ring Frisbees. This variation is especially beneficial if you need a more lightweight option.
Horseshoes may seem like it would grow tiresome quickly, but depending on the number of players, you can form teams, play face-offs, or play elimination. Another fun variation is to have everyone toss at once. This only works if there is a way to tell each person’s horseshoe apart, but it makes for some hilarious outcomes. You can even try to play it with objects you find lying around to see which work best.
Towel Checkers
Towel checkers, or jumbo checkers, was created just for those people that long to take board games to the beach, but worry about losing pieces. Perhaps the best design element behind towel checkers is that once you are done playing, you can use the towel. It’s a two-in-one, space-saving masterpiece of a beach game.
There are other towel games like backgammon, but checkers is the main staple of beach towel games. Not only is this game suitable for any age and ability, but it also offers the perfect respite from other more strenuous games. What’s better than playing a relaxing game of checkers under an umbrella after a long day of swimming and beach volleyball?
Of all the beach games, this one is the most clever. You can even make it yourself by using fabric paint on a plain towel or making a towel from patterned fabric. Rocks, seashells, and regular household objects make for great game pieces. Just pop the whole thing in a bag and voila, beach supplies and games all in one!
Final Thoughts
The beach is a wonderful place. It is relaxing, invigorating, and refreshing all at once. It is the go-to place for taking some time away from the stress and responsibilities of everyday life. Whether you go with your friends or family, or even if you go alone, beach games are a superb way to liven up any sunny outing.
Beach volleyball, badminton, and bocce ball are fun games if you want to play something vigorous that utilizes equipment. Tug of war, limbo, and horseshoes are the best games for beach parties. The team setups are variable, they are conducive to large groups, and they’re great at keeping up an energetic atmosphere.
If you are looking for games to play amongst the family, especially with kids, sand games, bocce ball, and limbo are easily customized and can hold kids’ attention quite well.
The point of beach excursions is to have fun and relax. Knowing and preparing some casual beach games is a wonderful way to round out any beach experience and enjoy a warm and memorable day.
