Almost everyone loves the beach. There's something about the smell of the ocean, the endless sand, and the beautiful sunsets that have everyone smiling the moment you step onto the sand. Here are 25 beach games that are perfect for your girl group (both for kids and adults) next time you visit the beach..
1. Tug-O-War
Tug-O-War is a great game for getting both the kids and adults involved in the activity. Before starting, make sure everyone has on their swimsuits because the losing team is about to get soaked.
To play, all you need is something that will act as a long rope (towels tied together, jumping ropes, etc.). Split the group of kids and adults into two teams and line them up with their feet in the water. On the sand above the water line, draw a straight line to indicate the middle. Then, hand the teams the rope. Before starting, make sure to line up the rope with the middle line in the sand.
On the count of three, start pulling. The stronger team will pull the other team in the water, landing with wet swimsuits and lots of laughs. Play as many times as you want. 
2. Digging Tunnels
One of the best games for the beach is digging in the sand. The sand at the beach is endless to a kid, and there's nothing more entertaining than digging straight down. For this activity, tell the kids to dig down in the sand. Whoever digs the biggest hole by the end of a time limit wins the competition! To make it more competitive, bring a large candy bar for the winner.
This activity will have the girls laughing as sand flies in the air. Make sure that each girl has a toy shovel or other digging tool to make it easier to dig in dense sand. Although this activity seems reasonably harmless, have an adult figure stand over and watch the kids dig in the sand, especially if the girls are younger. Sand can be dangerous if the walls of the hole collapse or if the tide rushes in. 
3. Beach Frisbee
Playing any game on the beach makes the game more fun. One of the best games for beach fun is a frisbee. To play, all you need is a frisbee and hand-eye coordination skills. If the group is too young or still developing their frisbee throwing skills, take a moment beforehand to give a quick introduction to throwing a frisbee. Let each of the kids practice before starting the game.
Group everyone into a circle and throw the frisbee. Someone will catch the frisbee and throw it to the next person. The game focuses on building a bond between the girls tossing the frisbee back and forth. 
4. Fill the Bucket
For hours of laughing, play Fill the Bucket. For this game, you will need sponges (shaped like Spongebob, of course) and buckets. Each player will need a sponge and their own bucket.
Line up the buckets on the sand slightly above the end of the waves. Instruct the players to line up in the waves, with their sponge in the water soaking up the waves. The players will race towards their bucket on a count of three, trying to keep as much water in their sponge. They will wring out the sponge into the bucket and then race back to the waves. The first person to fill the bucket wins. 
5. Beach Volleyball
Beach volleyball is a great option for a beach party with older girls. Because volleyball requires more coordination than young kids have, it might not be suitable for young girls. Older kids will enjoy the game and have fun playing.
You can also add unique twists to the game by throwing towels over the top of the net, obscuring the other side of the court's view. By obscuring the view, the teams have to work better together to figure where the ball is coming from. Regardless of how you play, beach volleyball is always a great option for summer fun at the beach. 
6. Limbo
Perfect for kids of any age, limbo is a fun game that is perfect for beach fun. To play limbo, all you need is a long stick. One by one, the kids will try to walk beneath the pole by bending backward. Once everyone has gone through, the kids holding the pole lower it by an inch or two.
Again, all the kids try to bend themselves under the pole without touching. If they even graze the pole while going under, they're out of the game. You can make this game even more entertaining by playing at the water's edge. As the kids bend backward, they'll have to deal with the waves rushing up. 
7. Mini-Golf
On your way to the sea, bring mini golf clubs and a few golf balls. Once you're in the sand, start building a mini-golf course. This game is perfect for both older kids and younger kids. It's also a great game for a group of adults. Everyone will have fun using their creativity to build a mini-golf course on the sand. Build a sandcastle with a hole in the center and have everyone put the golf ball into the hole. If they miss, they could end up knocking down the entire sandcastle.
You can also use sand buckets, seaweed, shells, a beach bag and towel, water bottles, and anything else you can find on the beach to create the mini-golf course. Setting up the mini-golf course will be just as fun as the actual game.
If you're playing with younger kids, encourage them to use their imagination. You can use the kelp on the beach to build runways for the golf balls and build sandcastles all along the course. The important part is that everyone is having a great time. 
8. Sand Hopscotch
For young girls, hopscotch is a great way to get out energy and have fun. While in the sandy beach dunes, you can make endless numbers of hopscotch races by drawing it in the sand. Of course, every time someone jumps through the hopscotch, you will have to redraw them.
Jumping and exercising in the sand is significantly harder than hopping on pavement or grass. Because the sand absorbs your jump, playing hopscotch on the beach is a great way to expend a lot of energy all at once. 
9. Sand Snake
To play Sand Snake, you will need a jump rope or beach towel. Have all the kids gather around the person holding the "snake" (the jump rope). Swing the snake low on the sand in a circle. Everyone in the circle has to jump over the snake. If the snake hits their ankles, they are "bitten" and are out of the round. The round continues until there's only one person left.
You can also play this game with the long kelp found on some beaches. Before using the kelp, make sure no crabs are hiding in the leaves! If you can find a good piece of kelp, it's a great way to refuse the items found on the beach and incorporate it as apart of your game. 
10. Fly a Kite
Many beaches can be windy. Because oceans are flat, wind can blow unheaded across thousands of miles. When the wind reaches the shores, it meets its first signs of resistance. Because of this, some beaches are infamously windy, such as the Northern California beaches. However, this also means that the weather is perfect for kite flying.
Flying a kite is something that everyone should do once in their lifetime. It's fun and entertaining. Young kids will love to watch their unique kites fly in the air. Before arriving at the beach, stop by your local store and pick up some colorful kites. You can get exciting kites that are fun to watch fly. For example, you can buy a kite shaped like a dragon. When the dragon is up in the sky, it looks like a dragon is flying above your head. You can also buy a kite shaped like a Superman, which young kids will love. 
11. Bubble Blowing
It might sound too simple, but playing bubbles on the beach can keep young kids entertained for hours, especially if you're using unique bubble wands. You can buy a large bubble marker that blows a bubble larger than a full-grown person.
Having a unique selection of bubbles will make sure that the young kids stay entertained for hours at a time. Although this game is best for young kids, teenagers will also have fun blowing large bubbles and running around with them. Simply make sure that you're using ocean-friendly soap to make the bubbles. 
12. Build Sand Castles
It might seem like an activity meant only for younger kids, but building sandcastles can be fun for all ages. Sandcastles are exciting because you're building something beautiful from the ground up. You can make an intricate sandcastle or use a bucket to make a simple one.
Building sandcastles is an activity that lets both young kids and adults come together and have fun. While the adults build the castles, you can task the young kids with the decorations. The kids will run around the beach looking for shells, rocks, and bits of seaweed to place all of the sandcastles. Show the kids how to add tiny stones to make it look like the castles have windows and doors. There are endless possibilities when building a sandcastle. And don't forget to build a water moat around the sandcastles!
13. Stack Rocks
Stacking rocks is a tradition in many cultures. Trail experts often use them to mark trails, showing people where to go. The stacked rocks often defy gravity, with various small and large rocks stacked on top of each other. These rock stacks are called "rock cairns." the name originates from Gaelic and means "heap of stones." A variety of cultures use them for a variety of reasons.
If you're visiting a rocky beach, building rock cairns can be the perfect activity to make the beach entertaining and fun for everyone involved. Make a competition out of the activity by seeing who can build the largest rock cairn. Bring a prize for the winner. Another way to make this into a competition is by building the rock cairns just above the water's edge. As the tide moves in, test to see who's rocks last the longest against the waves. 
14. Beach Bocce Ball
Playing bocce ball on the beach is a great way to entertain both young kids and adults. Bocce ball is incredibly simple and easy, requiring a basic level of hand-eye coordination to begin playing. Of course, there's skill and strategy involved in the game. However, even young kids will enjoy playing the game, regardless of whether they win or lose.
To play, throw out the jack (the small ball in your bocce ball pack). The player or team to throw a bocce ball closest to the jack scores the point for that round. Players can knock other balls out of the way with their own bocce balls or even move the jack's location. This keeps the game ever interesting and ensures that you never know who will win the round until the last ball rolls. 
15. Break Random New Guinness Records
Have you ever what the most absurd world records are? Trying to break these funny world records while at the beach is a great way to get everyone involved. Of course, you won't be officially breaking any world records without a New Guinness officiator present, but it's still a fun activity to participate in.
Here are some of the best world records to break at the beach:
- Most toothpicks in bread: 3,500
- Most t-shirts pulled on in one minute: 31
- Most Jell-O eaten in one minute with chopsticks: 3.2 oz.
- Most sticky notes on the face in one minute: 58
- Most leapfrog jumps in 30 seconds by a team of two: 32
- Most saltine crackers eaten in one minute: 10
- Fastest time to assemble Mr. Potato Head while blindfolded: 16.17 seconds
- Most marshmallows eaten in one minute: 25
Some New Guinness World Records seem more like minute-to-win-it games. However, both kids and adults will have fun attempting to beach these world records, regardless of whether they're successful. Additionally, planning the food challenges around lunchtime will make sure that the games are a hit. 
16. Nine Square
One of the most popular games among children is four square. However, you can't play four square on the beach since the ball can't bounce in the sand. Instead, set up a nine square court. Nine square is similar to four square, but everything happens above your head. The court is made up of a three by three square lifted above the heads of the players. Each player stays in their square. When the ball is introduced into the game, the players must keep the ball from touching the ground while staying in their square.
Nine square is the perfect fun beach game for a group of older kids. Younger kids can also play since the height of the court can easily be adjusted. 
17. Crossnet Volleyball
Crossnet volleyball is a variation of volleyball that only uses four people. Rather than using a traditional volleyball net, the net is split into four parts, making four even sections for each person to stand. As the ball is hit into the air, the player must hit the ball over the net and into another player's area.
Because the game has a unique twist on the game of volleyball, kids will love it. It's a creative game that can be played with various ages, though it might be best for older kids and teenagers. Crossnet is also a great game for adults at the beach. 
18. Musical Towels
Musical chairs just got even more exciting for kids and adults. Although musical chairs is typically thought to be a kids' game, many adults love playing it. Musical towels is a great way to bring this classic game to the beach.
To play, lay out all of the towels in a circle. Just like musical chairs, make sure that there is one less towel than participants. Turn on the music and dance as everyone makes their way around the circles of towels. When the music stops, everyone tries to sit on a towel as quickly as possible. The person who doesn't get a towel has to sit out of the game.
Next, remove one of the towels and make the circle smaller so that all towels are evenly spaced again. Start up the music and have everyone walk around the circle. Repeat this until there's only one person left sitting on a towel.
Both kids and adults will love this activity. If playing with both kids and adults, make sure that the adults go easy on the kids.
19. Skimboarding
Skimboarding is an activity where you use a special board that allows you to skim along incoming waves. For the most part, you stay on the sand and move just along the water's edge. Skimboarding is a fun activity to learn, and it will keep most kids entertained for hours on end. It's the perfect activity when taking a family to the beach because the adults can just sit back and watch.
First, you will need a skimboard. A normal skimboard made of fiberglass starts at only $30, making it an affordable purchase if you frequently attend the beach. With practice, anyone can skimboard. Here is a free guide that will teach you exactly how you can begin skimboarding at your beach. 
20. Beach Scavenger Hunt
For young kids, one of the best activities is a beach scavenger hunt. To prepare for the beach scavenger hunt, print out a list of items and things that can be found at your local beach. Here is a good example of a beach scavenger hunt list:
- Seagull
- Seaweed
- Shells
- Rock
- Sand
- Fish
- Crab
- Sea pickles
- Jellyfish
Depending on what often washes ashore at your local beach, change your list to fit your beach area. Kids will love searching for the items and laughing at what they can find. Of course, don't take home any of the items they find on the beach and leave the shells in the sand. 
21. Spud in the Waves
Spud is an old-school recess game. Kids will have a great time playing Spud on the beach. The best type of beach for Spud is a flat beach with safe, low waves. Additionally, because this game will require the kids to run into the waves, it's best played with constant parental supervision.
To play, assign each person a number between one and ten (but do it in secret, so no one knows who has what number). Make sure that there are two numbers that no one has; these will be your ghost numbers. Then, everyone lines up just on the edge of the water. One person starts with the ball and tosses it high in the air, calling out a random number that isn't their own. The person with that number has to run forward and catch the ball while everyone else runs away, either along the shore or into the waves. When the person catches the ball, everyone has to freeze exactly where they air.
The person with the ball then tries to hit one of the runners with the ball. If they hit someone, that person gets an "S." If they miss, the thrower gets the "S." The thrower becomes the new starter and throws the ball up into the air. However, if they call a ghost number, they get another letter.
The game continues until someone spells out SPUD. 
22. Sand Darts
Sand darts is an easy game to play when everyone is sitting on the towels, drying off after a dip in the ocean. For the game, you will need a handful of small pebbles. Draw out a dartboard in the sand, making it as big or small as you want. Stand or sit a few feet away from the board and toss the stones into the sand dartboard. The person who gets closest to the middle of the board wins.
Playing with sand darts is perfect for when you're relaxing or trying to pass the time. It's a simple game that any age child can participate in and a game that most adults will enjoy. 
23. Metal Detecting
In some locations, you can rent a metal detector for the day at the beach. Metal detecting is a fun activity for kids because it makes them feel like they're treasure hunting. As they slide the metal detector along the sand, they will get excited every time the metal detector beeps, alerting them that there's a treasure just below the surface of the sand.
You can buy a simple metal detector for less than $50. Some people make metal detecting a hobby since it can sometimes be rather profitable. Thousands of people lose coins, rings, bracelets, watches, and necklaces at the beach. In a way, metal detecting is looking for lost treasure. 
24. Waboba Ball
A Waboba ball is a special type of ball that bounces on water, making it the perfect toy for playing catch in the ocean. The ball will skip across the water and bounce as if it were bouncing on the ground. It's a great toy for older kids who are competent swimmers in the ocean. This game is even better in the swimming pool since you won't have to worry about the waves carrying the ball away from you.
Because the kids will be in the waves playing this game, they need to have consistent adult supervision. Before letting the kids play in the waves, make sure that they know how to swim and know basic ocean safety. 
25. Sand Pictionary
Sand Pictionary is a fun game to play on your summer vacation when you don't have any equipment to play with. To play, all you need is sand.
Start by separating the group into two teams and choose one team to start. One person from the starting team will draw something in the sand. Their team has to guess what they're drawing before the timer runs out. If they can't guess it, the other team gets one try to guess what it is. If neither team can guess, no points are awarded that round. If one of the teams guesses the drawing, the guessing team gets the point.
Continue to play this until everyone gets the opportunity to draw. It's a great game for both kids and adults. You can also play a version of this game where an adult leader gives the kids a word to draw. Some example words for the beach are:
- Shark
- Sandcastle
- Ice cream
- Beach
- Fish
Of course, you don't have to play with beach-related words—the important thing is to have fun. 
Participating in Beach Clean Ups
One of the best activities you can do when visiting the beach is a beach clean up. Because so many tourists visit beaches, beaches are often littered with wrappers and trash. If no one is there to clean up the trash, a lot of the debris will end up in the ocean.
When visiting the beach, start your visit off right by taking a few minutes to pick up any trash you see on the sand. Taking care of our beaches is vital. It will help the life in the ocean blossom if we can pick up the trash before it washes into the water. If you're in the water and you see trash, don't hesitate to pick it up.
Even cleaning up for five minutes every time you visit the beautiful beach will make a difference.
