Tip to Keep Kids Occupied at the Beach

For you families that get a chance to spend time at the beach, I have a great tip that I've learned in my years of taking my two children to the beach (now age 9 and 6).  If you've been on the beach with younger children (or anywhere with young kids!) you know how they can easily get bored and look to their parents to constantly entertain them.  I've found that digging a large hole when you first arrive at the beach can give your children hours of entertainment.  They will play in the hole using their imagination off and on throughout the whole day.  I put the hole a few feet in front of our blanket so my wife and I can keep an eye on the kids while they play.  It takes about 15 minutes of some pretty good digging to make a decent hole, but the time you get to relax and even read a book while the kids play is well worth the effort!  I also recommend getting a small garden or Army shovel instead of the cheap plastic shovels, it will really make the job a lot easier.