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.
Outer Banks Everyday Magic: Landing the Perfect Catch
The Outer Banks Everyday Magic series has become one of my favorite blog features. I was excited when we started it because I knew we’d discover some awesome stories, but I continue to be amazed by how much the OBX touches people’s lives.
I have the lucky position of getting to read and format every story that we get, and I can honestly say that I get goosebumps when I read how much passion people feel for their time on the Outer Banks.
Time on the OBX is waaay more than just a vacation; it’s a new adventure, time to reconnect with loved ones, a time to disconnect from everyday life, a time to bond with nature, it’s life-long memories, and this week we get to hear from Kristen who explains that the OBX is also one of the best spots to reel in the “perfect catch.”
Thanks for sharing Kristen. Enjoy…I bet you get goosebumps.
Most OBX lovers know the Outer Banks is famous for world-class fishing. Offshore, inshore, surf fishing, sound fishing. Marlin, tuna, dolphin, stripers, red drum. It’s a fisherman’s oasis – and it’s where I landed the perfect catch.
I’ll start from the beginning.
I grew up coming to the Outer Banks (“Nags Head” as we all called it when I was young). Every summer my family rented a cottage from family friends – The Lilly Pad on Archdale. Those were some of the best days of my life.
My sister, my cousin, mom, aunt and our super cool teenage babysitter – headed to “Nags Head” for a fun-filled week of boogie boarding, shell collecting, trips to the Surfslide (I was terrified of those water slides), the Ghost Ship (does anyone remember this?!), bumper boats, crab leg dinners, early morning walks to The Donut Shop (oh how I miss those Tarheels) and nights on the deck singing Patsy Cline’s, “Walkin’ After Midnight.”
It wasn’t long before those innocent weeks on Archdale turned into weeks without a babysitter, my cousin and I cruisin’ behind the wheel (only after I begged my mom to give me the keys – I WAS 16 after all), and hot summer nights hanging out at Foosball Palace. (Again, does anyone remember that hole in the wall on the beach?!)
Then it was “Beach Week,” with a group of 10 high school friends – all under one roof for one wild week of post-high school “celebrations.”
These were the days. (As Van Morrison so wisely sang.) Or so I thought.
Fast forward eight or so years. I once again found myself frequenting the Outer Banks. This time, I was a recent college graduate (go Hoos!) with no career in sight. So, with a close high school friend (and my love of the Outer Banks still solid), we road tripped it to the OBX pretty much every other weekend during the summer of 2000.
At first these weekend jaunts were just quick carefree getaways – a little dancing and a lot of sun bathing. But after a few trips, the question arose, “Why don’t we just move here?” Without a solid career path for me in VA, I agreed that a move to the OBX would be the perfect “in between” option. I mean, it would only be for a year or two – and then I would come back to reality, move back to VA and find a “real” career path.
That’s when fate reeled me in.
It was the last night of one of our whirlwind weekends. We were headed back to our hotel – another crazy weekend spent at the OBX. Time to say goodbye and plan our next adventure. And that’s when I landed the catch of my life.
I met the man who would become my husband that night. (And, yes, one of the reasons behind the title of my story. He fishes for a living.)
It wasn’t long before my brief stint on the Outer Banks turned into 12 years of a life I never imagined living.
Sure, I grew up going fishing with my dad – on lakes, ponds, etc. – but now I was really in the mix. Hanging with the “big boys.” Charter boats, billfish tournaments and “fish” talk. I quickly became “in tune” with all things related to charter fishing and the fishing lifestyle on the Outer Banks. Tight lines. Rigging baits. Sea witches. And SUPER early mornings. And I loved it. I was proud to call myself “the girl” of a charter boat fisherman.
And now? The catch of my life has brought me more joy than I could ever have imagined – even back during my carefree days on Archdale. We have two guppies of our own, Luke (5 years) and Anna (7 months), and I’m proud to say while one has already reeled in plenty of fish on his own, the other has already held a fishing pole. (And yes, we’re already counting the days until the 2012 Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament!)
So there is my story of the “everyday magic” I found on the Outer Banks. After all, there aren’t many things more magical than going down to the marina to watch your daddy’s boat come in. Especially with a 500 lb. marlin in the cockpit.
Tight lines!
Tight lines indeed! Such a great story. A lifetime of Outer Banks memories.
I’d love to hear your story of Outer Banks Everyday Magic too. Please use the form below to share your story with me.
Currituck County officials are developing a plan to impose limits on the expanding business of Corolla wild horse tours. They are discussing plans to restrict the number of vehicles per tour to 4 and requiring tour operators to get a license each year and the number of licenses issued would be limited to eight companies that must be based in Currituck County.
Other requirements include:
- Vehicles would have to be registered with the county, with a photo included for each one.
- Each vehicle would get a number and must have a sign on the side with lettering at least 3 inches tall showing the ID number and the company name.
- All vehicles would have guides, instead of one guide leading several vehicles.
- More than one violation of the ordinance in a month could mean being shut down for a day or more.
A county law already requires people to stay 50 feet away from wild horses.
Operators could still carry a similar number of passengers by using vehicles with larger capacities, Woody said.
Officials are considering whether to limit tour times. Now they travel dawn to dusk. Residents want hours limited to something like 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“I’m in favor of this, believe or not,” said Jay Bender, owner of Corolla Outback Adventures and Club Seaside partner. “It’s in the best interest of the horses and in the best interest of everybody over the long haul to keep some sort of control over it.”
Complaints from residents and the Corolla Wild Horse Fund explain, “It’s all day every day,” said north beach resident and Corolla Wild Horse Fund Vice President Phyllis Castelli. “There’s never really a time of day when there’s not a tour group going by. It’s completely out of balance.” Castelli saw two wild horses on the beach last week surrounded by people from three different tours. “If I feel this way, imagine how the horses feel,” she said.
There are a couple of things to remember here. If we reduce supply of the horse tours and with demand always increasing this is going to drive up the prices of the tour which is already on the high side. On the other hand it would be in the best interest of our area to restrict the number of companies as to eliminate people in Charlotte, Raleigh or Virginia who see the horse tours as an easy way to make money and have already expressed interest in starting new tour companies.
What do you guys think? There has to be some kind of happy medium…
Here is a video of our recent wild horse tour with Corolla Outback Adventures.
Just when you thought the Outer Banks couldn’t get any more beautiful, getting a chance to see it from over 2,000 feet in the air was unbelievable! Continuing with our Outer Banks Treasure series we had the opportunity to take some of our Seaside crew up on a helicopter ride with Coastal Helicopters and a plane ride with OBX Biplanes out of Manteo, NC.
Since I have always had a fear of heights I started to wonder why I set this up, knowing good and well I would have to make the trip up in either the helicopter or plane. When the time came Larry and Stephanie, the owners of Coastal Helicopters did a great job of putting my worries at ease and I finally was ready to do it! Let me just tell you that it was amazing! Once the plane was in the air, I wasn’t scared at all. The views were breathtaking and I had such a great time.
I would HIGHLY recommend setting up a tour on your next vacation. They have affordable options for rides especially if you have a large group and you want to give everyone a chance at going up. It is the Outer Banks from a whole new perspective. I took the plane up but my co-workers also had an awesome time on the helicopter ride. You have the opportunity to see local attractions and all of the great OBX landmarks, as well as schools of fish and dolphins from in the air.
If you are interested in setting up a ride please visit Coastal Helicopter and OBX Biplanes online, or if you are a Seaside Vacations guests, contact one of our vacations specialists for more information and a $10 off coupon! Big thank you to Baldwin Video for such a great video!
One of the great things about Seaside Vacations is our Club Seaside program, which offers our guests a unique opportunity to experience some local culture and really add to their vacation experience. We have been working with Kilmarlic Health and Racquet Club for some time now and have had such great feedback from our guests, that we wanted to include them in our Outer Banks Treasure series and allow people to see some of the things that make it such a great place to visit during your time here in the OBX.
Even though we are at the beach, having a pool at your vacation home is always a fun way to get out to enjoy the sunshine and keep the kids having a great time, but it is not always easy to find availability in homes that have pools. The good news is that for only $5 per person (free on Saturday’s) you can enjoy all day access to Kilmarlic’s state-of-the art facility featuring the highest quality equipment, personal training, group fitness programs, a junior Olympic-sized pool, four Har-Tru clay tennis courts, four hard tennis courts, a basketball court, a poolside café, upscale locker rooms and more.
Club Seaside also offers a 50 minute Abs & Arms class, taught by a certified trainer to help keep you keep that bikini body looking fabulous! If you are a tennis lover, like myself, you can enjoy a cardio intensive tennis clinic on Kilmalic’s US Open style courts with tennis director Rob Peterson. No matter what your interests are there is something great at Kilmarlic Health & Racquet for you.
For more information visit our Club Seaside page or Kilmarlic’s website to learn more about their great facilities.
Stop in and see what all the buzz is about at 101 Wimbledon Court, Powell’s Point, NC 27966.
Don’t forget if you are stuck in summer traffic Kilmarlic is right on the way in so skip the wait and go take a dip!
Nothing is better than giving back to your community, so why not help raise some money for local scholarships and educational programs while enjoying a fun day out on the beach with great prizes, food and paddle battles! The Surfrider Foundation, Outer Banks Chapter raised over $5,000 last year and want to do it even bigger this year.
With more than 50 competitors, there’s a division for everyone (groms to grown-ups, short boards to SUP’s). Raffle tickets will also go on sale for this event with great prizes that include: Stand-up Skate/Stick and a custom surfboard shaped by Mike Rowe from Hooked Surfboards! If you’re up for the challenge or just want to come hang out be at Ocean Bay Blvd (aka the KDH Bath House) in Kill Devil Hills on July 23.
Don’t miss this event and if you can’t attend but would still like to purchase raffle tickets, please contact brent@obxsurfinfo.com or call 252-256-0423. For more information about the Surfrider Foundation, Outer Banks Chapter, or if you are interested in donating to this great organization, please visit their website at http://outerbanks.surfrider.org/
I remember when I was a kid my favorite part of summer was getting to go to camp, too bad i grew up in the city and never had the chance to do something as cool as surf camp! Professional and local surfer Noah Snyder and his friends are offering a week of surf training an fun for beginner to advanced surfers here in the Outer Banks.
The cost of the camp is $350 and is intended for ages 8 and up. The camp will be held Monday-Friday from 8am-1pm in Kill Devil Hills at the new Camp Emmanuel.
To learn more about Noah or to find out more about surf camp click here.
I’m super jealous, wish I could go to surf camp! Who’s with me?
It is really a funny thing when you live in a vacation destination like the Outer Banks you never really get the chance to do, or visit some of the things that make your area unique. For example the Graveyard of the Atlantic museum…I have still not ever been there and its right down the street. Its crazy how that works. I guess it is just important to make the time to get out and enjoy the “tourist” stops around the area. After realizing this- it was ironic to stumble upon this great article by Russ Lay of the Outer Banks Voice about his recent experience dolphin watching.
He mentions how when they moved to the Outer Banks they did all of the tourist things— lighthouses, museums, galleries etc, then settled into somewhat of a routine. I am pretty sure this is true for most OBX locals but it is always fun to get crazy and go do something random, something that you tell people they have to do but you still haven’t done! I have always been a huge fan of dolphins as they are such beautiful creatures and I get so excited when I can see them out in the distance. How cool would it be to see them close up?
In his article Russ notes how he decided to go out on a dolphin tour since it had been a decade since he had done it last. He decided on Outer Banks Cruises, aboard the “Captain Johnny,” where Captain Stuart Wescott serves as host, historical commentator and comedian in addition to locating dolphins. His record in 2010 was 260 sightings on 270 trips. Plus the sweet part is, you get a free repeat visit for the remainder of the season if you are on one of those rare trips when a dolphin is not spotted!
After watching his video of the experience it made me really want to go check this out and I encourage all of you to do the same. Hey, if you’re going to be in town let me know and maybe we can go out on the watch together! The more the merrier! It would definitely be a great thing to do with the kids, the family or even as a fun date idea.
For information on tours visit Outer Banks Cruises website or read the entire article by Russ Lay on the Outer Banks Voice here.
We’re sharing travel ideas, beach ideas, OBX activities…all with a twist for the little ones.
