A couple weeks ago we started a new blog series focused on the youngest fans of the OBX – the kiddos.
“OBX for the Kids” is a series of posts centered on the OBX and kids – clever name, right? We’re sharing travel ideas, beach ideas, OBX activities…all with a twist for the little ones.
We have young ones ourselves, so we know what all the parents are up against. How to keep them happy, how to keep them busy…basically, how to keep the whining to a minimum.
Luckily, the beach is a perfect playground to keep the kids busy, so we’re already ahead of the game. But let’s take a look at some fun beach-themed crafts to keep them busy on those rainy days or when it’s time to take a break from fun in the sun.
And a bonus for all of the parental units, these crafts can double as souvenirs, so the Wings tab can stay to a minimum - a fun craft and a daily reminder of the wonderful time they had on their Outer Banks vacation!
Personalized Seashell
Here’s a great way for kids to save their treasures from the beach all in one place! Display the final product on a bookshelf or nightstand in your child’s room.
What you’ll need:
Large shell and several small shells
Sand dollar or starfish
White craft glue
Sponge applicator
Miniature craft stick
Alphabet beads
Sand
How to make it:
Squeeze a generous amount of white glue all over the inside of the large shell. Spread the glue with the sponge applicator.
For the large item, such as a starfish or a sand dollar, add glue to the back of the item then find a spot on the shell where the item will be fairly flush and stick it in place.
Add small shells, pebbles, and anything else you like to the remaining area of the large shell.
Cover the entire contents of the large shell with sand. Leave for a couple of hours to dry.
Pipe a line of glue onto the craft stick and glue the alphabet beads in place, spelling out your name. Let dry.
Gently turn the shell over to dump out the excess sand, lightly tapping the shell. Glue the nameplate to the front of the shell and let dry.
Sand-Filled Bottles
Take a bit of the Outer Banks home with you by making these cool sand-filled bottles.
What you’ll need:
Sand
Newspaper
Wax paper
Colored chalk (as many different colors as you like)
Clear glass or plastic bottles
Stick or pencil
White glue or bottle cap
Cutting board
How to make it:
Cover the work surface with newspaper.
Place a sheet of wax paper on a cutting board.
Place some sand on the wax paper. Roll a piece of colored chalk across the sand until the sand is completely changed to that color.
Carefully lift the wax paper and gently shake the sand to the center of the wax paper. Hold both ends of the paper up to use it as a pour spout to pour the colored sand into the bottle. You can use a funnel if you find it easier.
Use a stick or the eraser end of a pencil to make a few dips in the sand.
Repeat these steps until you have several colors of sand layered in your bottle(s).
If you have a cap for your bottle, be sure to fill it completely with sand and press down firmly on the sand to compact it. Place cap on tight. If you do not have a bottle cap, fill sand to about ½” from the top of the bottle. Compact the sand with a pencil or your finger if it fits in the opening and then fill to the top with glue and let dry.
Tips:
You can use small plastic bottles available at your local craft store or empty jars and bottles that you have on hand.
If using sand from the beach, be sure to sift it with a flour sifter first to remove any bits of debris and rock.
Seashell Critters
Save the shells you find on the beach and make these adorable little seashell critters.
What you’ll need:
Seashells in various types and sizes
Hot glue gun
Wiggle eyes
How to make it:
Arrange shells together to form different animals and creatures.
Have a parent glue them together with hot glue.
Add wiggle eyes to your creatures.
Tips:
It’s best to position the shells first and decide how you want them to go together before gluing.
Put cockle shells together to form oyster like creatures.
For more colorful projects, paint your shells before gluing together.
Summer Journal
Help kids create this simple journal to keep track of the family vacation to the Outer Banks.
What you’ll need:
Journal or other notebook
Foam letters (available as stickers)
Foam shapes (we used flower and sport themes)
Wiggle eyes
Craft jewels
Fabric paint tubes
White craft glue
How to make it:
Open journal and make sure it is right side up.
Glue foam shapes onto journal wherever you like.
Use wiggle eyes, craft jewels, and fabric paint to decorate however your child sees fit. We glued craft jewels onto our purple journal as well as onto the centers of our foam flowers. We used wiggle eyes to give life to the different sports balls.
Tips:
Many foam shapes are available as stickers now, eliminating the need for the glue and making it easier for smaller children to participate.
Foam journals, stickers and shapes are readily available at craft supply stores. You can find them in discount department stores, but selections are not nearly as large.
If you child isn’t sure how he/she would like to decorate their journal, have them lay everything out on the cover first. Encourage them to move items around until they are happy with their design. Keep the items all in place and glue each one down one by one.
Summer Vacation Stationery
Kids will love this project that allows them to personalize their own letters about their Outer Banks vacation.
What you’ll need:
Construction paper, card stock or writing paper
Foam stamps of your choice
Acrylic craft paints
Paintbrush
How to make it:
Lay paper on table.
Choose stamps with which you wish to decorate your stationary.
After choosing your paint colors, paint a foam stamp and press gently but firmly onto the paper. Decorate with stamps around the edges; just be sure to leave yourself enough room to write your letter.
After all paint decorations have dried you can write your letter.
Tips:
Foam stamps are available in a variety of shapes and themes at your local craft supply store.
You can also sign your name by using foam alphabet stamps.
Use paint pens or markers to add details to animals or shapes.
Match your stationery theme to your vacation. For example, if you visited the beach, use sea shells stamps, fish and other sea creatures.
Sand Sculpture
Every sandcastle connoisseur knows the frustration of seeing their masterpiece swept away by the waves. Now you can craft a permanent sand sculpture just by using sand, water and cornstarch.
What you’ll need:
3 cups of sand (“play sand” from the hardware store works if you don’t have “beach sand”)
1 1/2 cups of cornstarch
1 1/2 cups of water
Newspaper
Old cooking pot
Large spoon
How to make it:
Mix the ingredients together in the pot.
With the help of a grownup, cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly.
When it gets thick, take it off of the stove and let cool.
Once it is cool, use the spoon to turn it out on the newspaper.
Now you can make it into any shape you like, let it dry, and keep your creation forever!
Tips:
A quick spray of Pam or other lubricating spray helps the sand pop right out of the sandcastle molds. A hole poked into the top of the sandcastle mold also seemed to help.
To make the sandcastles pop out perfectly, the trick seemed to be packing the sand mixture into the molds tightly and leaving an air space at the open end of the mold and slamming the mold down hard onto the plate….the extra air helps pop the sand right out.
Ocean Bottle
Create your very own ocean waves in a plastic soda bottle and display for all your friends to see.
What you’ll need:
Empty two liter plastic bottle with lid
Clear vegetable oil or mineral oil
Water
funnel
Blue food coloring
Small star fish, shells and other sea creatures
One tsp glitter
White craft glue
Hot glue
How to make it:
Wash and dry two-liter bottle and remove all labels
Fill bottle halfway with tap water
Add a few drops of blue food coloring and swirl around to mix
Add glitter
Add sea creatures
Fill bottle the rest of the way with vegetable oil using a funnel
Be sure that rim and cap are dry, then apply white craft glue around the rim. Seal cap.
Use a layer of hot glue around the outer edge of the cap for added protection from leakage
Turn bottle on its side and gently rock the bottle to create a “wave” inside your ocean habitat!
Tips:
Use lightweight starfish, shells and other sea creature toys that can float. Test them first in a bowl or glass of water. Find these at your local craft supply store or discount department store.
Make the ocean any color you choose! Blue is standard of course, but if your child’s room is decorated with red and yellow, go with red food coloring. There’s no rule that says your ocean must be blue.
Small children will be mesmerized by this creation. They can help make this every step. Let them insert the sea creatures, hold the funnel and help add the tap water. In the steps that may be more difficult for little fingers, have them hold the bottle steady for you while you add the glitter.
Seashell Mobile
Make a great souvenir from your Outer Banks vacation with this seashell mobile.
What you’ll need:
Shells or other finds
String
2 pieces of dowel rod, about 1 foot length
Glue
How to make it:
Use string to make dowels into an ‘X’ shape.
Glue shells onto several different lengths of string.
Let dry about a day.
Tie string with shells to dowel rods at all four corners and some between.
Hang somewhere you, your friends, and neighbors can all see it and enjoy it. It will also give you a chance to tell everyone about your adventures in collecting your treasures.
During the Christmas holiday, I took a 15 hour car ride up north to see my extended family.
My fam met up with my sister’s clan to caravan our way up the coast, and included in our two cars on this marathon road trip were SIX kids under seven years old!
Yes, 6!
I share this little tidbit with you so you’ll understand that I’m speaking from experience with this post. I’ve been in the trenches. I know what a full day of traveling can do to kids. I feel your pain.
So, let’s try to make your extended travels to the Outer Banks with the kiddos a bit less painful, shall we?
Enter our new blog series, OBX for the Kids.
We understand it is challenging to travel to the Outer Banks, and we appreciate your efforts (although being out-of-the-way is kinda the charm of the OBX ). So, we want to offer you some great travel ideas that may slow – I can’t promise elimination – the Frankenstein-like transition from loveable youngster to off-the-wall crazy person.
Stay tuned, we’ll be sharing some great kid-friendly material, and today we’ll start with Travel Games to make your Outer Banks road trip slightly less insane.
Road Trip Games
The car is packed and you’re about to set off on your Outer Banks vacation. The only thing standing in your way is hours in a crowded car – with kids asking, “Are we there yet?” How can you keep everyone entertained and maintain your sanity until you reach your Outer Banks vacation home? Some fun and easy road trip games just might do the trick.
The Geography Game
Help your kids refresh their geography lessons while on the road with the geography game. The game begins with a person naming any place in the world, London for example. The next person then has to come up with a place name that begins with the last letter of the first location. So in this case, the next place would have to start with an ‘N’, like Nepal for instance. The game continues on until someone gets stumped, and no place can be used more than once. The game can be played with any topic, so give celebrity names, movies, animals or anything else you can think of a try.
The Grocery Game A good way to keep everyone in the car entertained and engaged is to play a memory game such as The Grocery Game. To begin, the first player names an object available at a grocery store that starts with the letter A. The next player has to repeat what the first player said and then add another grocery item that starts with a B. For example, if player one says “apples,” player two would repeat “apples” and then might add “bananas.” If you forget a grocery item, you’re out, and the game continues until the player with the best memory wins.
If groceries aren’t your thing, you can play variations of this game with anything from animals to sports to people’s names.
I Spy To play I Spy, a classic travel game, one person in the car will choose an object around them. He or she then gives the other people in the car a clue by saying: “I spy with my little eye, something….” He or she then will state the object’s color, give the first letter of the name of the object or offer another clue.
Be sure that players don’t choose an object that the car will whiz by too fast. Instead, go for something that is inside the car or that will be in everyone’s line of vision for a few minutes. The person who guesses the object correctly is the next person to spy a new item.
Team Storytelling
Inspire your family’s creative side by creating a group story. Someone begins by creating one line to a story (for example, “There once was a prince under a curse…”) and each person must add one line to the story as you go. If simple storytelling is too dull for you, spice it up by making the lines have to rhyme, or by pointing at players out of order to come up with a line on the spot. You can extend the game by writing down the story and having your children create illustrations for it.
Travel Scavenger Hunt
Keep children occupied with a travel scavenger hunt. Compile a list of objects for each child to find along the road. For example, you could have things like “brown cow” or “water tower.” Anything that comes to mind that you might be passing will work, or you can use prepared lists. The winner is the first one to find everything on his or her list.
Treasure Bottle
You’ll need a little preparation ahead of time, but a treasure bottle can be a great way to keep younger children entertained and engaged. Use a 2 liter bottle or large plastic container with a lid. Fill it 2/3s full with rice or birdseed, then add small “treasures” from around your house like paper clips, bolts, pennies, Legos and any other small things you might have lying around in your junk drawer. Keep count of how many items you put in and write the number on the outside of the bottle. Have kids roll around the bottle until they find everything hidden inside. Just make sure the lid is extra secure so there aren’t any mid-trip messes to clean up.
Who Am I? Playing the guessing game Who Am I? is a great way to show everyone what they have in common. Think of someone that you and your fellow passengers all know: a family member, friend or neighbor, or maybe a fictional or historical character. Then give clues about the person’s identity by revealing his or her hair color, gender and other distinguishing physical characteristics. Or allow each person in the car to ask only “yes” or “no” questions about the identity of your secret person. Keep giving clues until someone figures out the identity of the individual you have in mind.
This is a variation of the ever-popular Twenty Questions, where the only clue players start out with is whether you are thinking of something “animal, vegetable or mineral” or a “person, place or thing.” The players must ask questions that you can only answer “yes” or “no” to determine who or what you are thinking about. The goal is to guess the answer in 20 questions or less.
We’re sharing travel ideas, beach ideas, OBX activities…all with a twist for the little ones.
