Beating Beach Boredom
By: Lisa Loyd
Wouldn’t it be nice to hear the sounds of waves crashing along a shore line, to be sipping a cocktail when
the sun sets, and feeling the cool sand in between your toes? Put yourself right there. Nice, isn’t it? You can
almost smell the salt air, right? Now imagine your children there with you. Is it still peaceful and relaxing?
Probably not. What sounds like a great time to us grown ups can get really boring for kids…really fast.
Vacationing at the beach with the children can be a wonderful experience where you can make memories that
will last a lifetime but it can also escalate into a frenzy of tears and frustration that will make you think, was
this really worth it?
The best way to avoid total meltdowns is to be prepared. Stock up on stuff like kites (cheap ones), magnetic
puzzles, coloring books, sand toys, boogie boards, and remember..never, ever let them bring their Nintendo
DS or IPod or any type of electrical toy to the beach. It will get sand in it. It will get ruined and you will hear
about it for the rest of your trip. Tell them to leave them in the house, hotel, or wherever you’re staying.
Try a day trip into Savannah! A change of scenery will help kids keep their cool. Savannah is only a 20 minute
drive from Tybee and has all types of fun activities for the entire family. You can take a trolley tour, visit various
historic sites, stroll down River Street, the possibilities are almost limitless.
While at the beach you are going to want to relax for awhile in the sun. Your kids will not. This is why it is
imperative to buy them floats for the ocean. Personally, I always go for boogie boards because the floats pop
within a few hours but, your choice. Kids love playing in the waves and as long as they can swim and you or
another responsible adult is keeping watch, throwing them something that floats and telling them to go play in
the waves is perfectly acceptable.
Eventually it is going to happen. Someone will get stung by a jellyfish. I have personally been getting stung
by jellyfish for around 30 some odd years now. Let me tell you what actually relieves the pain. The first thing
you should do is to wash the affected area with ocean water not fresh water. The fresh water will make it hurt
worse, I promise. Salt water will deactivate the stinging cells while fresh or tap water can reactive the stinging
cells. I find that baking soda works great with taking the stinginess away and highly suggest you pack some in
your beach bag. Just smear some on the wound and then give your child a soda. Any type of sugary beverage
or even candy seems to make kids stop crying too. Some people claim that peeing on a jellyfish sting relieves
the pain. I have found that this doesn’t work and only makes you look deranged.
Dolphin Tours are a big hit with young beach vacationers and luckily Tybee has a couple to choose from!
Watching dolphins play in their natural environment is an event you won’t forget. These marine mammals
always look like they are smiling and literally will swim right up to the boats. It is pretty spectacular to watch
them play in the wake, leap from the water, race the boats..it’s awesome. You’ll love it.
Tybee has its fair share of cultural activities. There’s Fort Pulaski, The Lighthouse, and The Marine Science
Center just to name a few. You can also go on a Beach Ecology Trip with Dr. Joe. This is the best way to learn
about marine life on Tybee Island. Kids can find shark teeth, explore tide pools, collect live specimens, and
much more. What I find particularly effective is to break the day up. Spend the mornings at the beach before
it gets too hot (remember sunscreen!!!!) and then do some fun activities after lunch. Speaking of lunch….
Many children do not like to try new food. Many children will act like you are trying to poison them when you
offer them a shrimp or oyster. Dining out can turn into a catastrophe if you can’t please the picky eaters. I
know that we are supposed to encourage children to try new things but you’re on vacation. Why fight? Find
a restaurant beforehand that will cater to Junior’s special dietary needs. I suggest The Crab Shack, Coco’s
Sunset Grill, and Huc-a-Poos for kid friendly dining enjoyment.
Don’t forget that when travelling with children a good way to ensure a little grown up relaxation time is bribery.
That’s right, simple bribery. Tybee has all types of little inexpensive beach stores, ice cream, and sweet shops.
Don’t be afraid to use this to your advantage. A child with an ice cream cone in his/her mouth is child that
is not whining!
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