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Going to the beach is always tons of fun, but sitting there in the sun can get dull after the first hour or two. A selection of great beach toys ensures your waterside outing is exciting and enjoyable all day long.
Spikeball is our top pick for the best beach toy becomes it's an engaging, action-packed game that's easy to learn and that can be played by kids and adults alike.
When you imagine a beach, you probably think of equal parts relaxation and fun. You likely picture kids frolicking about while adults stretch out and relax. In short, the modern conception of the beach is as an idyllic place to be sought out and enjoyed.
But it wasn't always so. In fact, up until the later decades of the 18th Century, beaches were generally avoided when possible, used only as necessary for maritime purposes such as launching or retrieving boats, harvesting seafood, and so forth. A new interest in the restorative benefits of fresh air inspired by the ever-more choked air of industrializing cities paired with the ease of travel offered by trains and improved roadways led to a gradual changing of opinions about the beach. Over the course of the 19th Century, the seaside changed from a vaguely ominous swath of sand to be avoided to the beloved vacation destination we think of today.
What's better than a day at the beach? A day at the beach with fun stuff to do.
If you showed up to the beach empty handed and sat on the sand staring at the water all day, that wouldn't be much fun. It's really the items we bring along with us that makes a beach day a success, and that goes for the basics like a towel and an umbrella to the common diversions like a book or some music to the great beach toys that can make a seaside sojourn truly enjoyable.
Whether it's you and the kids or you and the crew headed to the beach this summer, we've assembled a list of some of the best beach toys for ensuring you have a great time. What you won't find here is badminton because it's impossible or those giant inflatable balls you can get inside of because they're begging for personal injury. What you will find are a few high-energy beach games, an exciting but slow-paced option, the best water gun I've ever used, and some things for the kids, too.
Here are the best beach toys you can buy:
- Best beach toy overall: Spikeball
- Best beach toy for kids: Melissa & Doug Seaside Sidekicks Sand Baking Set
- Best water gun: Stream Machine TL-600 Water Launcher
- Best low-impact beach game: Yard Games Giant Tumbling Timbers
- Best frisbee beach game: Kan Jam Ultimate Disc Game
- Best beach kite: Singare Octopus Kite
- Best beach toys for the sand: Green Toys Sand Play Set
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
The best beach toy overall
Why you'll love it: Spikeball has all the energy and excitement of a game of volleyball without the need for a large net and huge piece of beach real estate.
The first time I played Spikeball, frankly, it wasn't much fun. But the second time I played, which was about five minutes later, I actually understood the mechanics of the game a bit, and I enjoyed myself. Within a few more rounds, my friends and I were spiking that ball with zeal and having a good ol' time and a decent workout, no less.
The object of this game is basically the same as that of a volleyball match. One team has to work together using a limited number of touches to get the ball bounced off a circular net and then ideally onto the ground without the other team successfully taking control of the ball and bouncing it right back. Got it? To paraphrase, instead of tapping the ball over a volleyball net, you bounce it off the Spikeball net to shift play to your opponents.
The best thing about Spikeball is the compact, portable nature of the set used in play. You can pack it down small enough to carry under one arm, yet a high-intensity game could see people running far and wide and even making jumping and diving plays. The second best thing about it is that you can also play a more casual, less intense round simply by not hitting the ball so hard.
With nearly 200 reviews posted on Amazon at the time of this writing, Spikeball commands a solid 4.5-star average rating. One descriptive customer calls it a "reverse/upside-down volleyball" game that's "super fun for the beach."
A writer from 50CampFires loved that the game was not only fun but also ensured players "get a pretty good workout" in the course of play.
Pros: Compact and portable set, enjoyable way to exercise, great for many ages
Cons: Requires moderate fitness and agility
Buy a Spikeball set on Amazon for $58
The best beach toy for kids
Why you'll love it: For kids ages zero through four or even a bit older, you really can't beat a great set of sand toys, and the Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Seaside Sidekicks Sand Baking Set is certainly that.
My son started enjoying sand play when he was seven months old. And though the way in which he engages with the sand has changed in the ensuing four years, he still loves using sand toys when playing at the beach. Now he's trying to create trenches that channel water toward a reservoir instead of idly scooping and dumping, but sand play is sand play.
The Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Seaside Sidekicks Sand Baking Set is a low-cost beach toy set that has all basic elements a kid needs for enjoying the endless supply of play material found there on the beach. It has the different sizes of scoop, a little spoon, a sand whisk, a sifter, and a larger bucket with handles.
Whether pretending to cook, working on a structure, or simply digging and pouring, young kids will love this set. Just make sure they don't eat too much sand with that spoon.
Hundreds of parents have reviewed this sand toy set online, and they have given it a commendable 4.6-star average rating. One mom calls it "very sturdy" and "absolutely perfect for" younger kids to enjoy at the beach. Other parents also report their kids using the toys at water tables or in the pool.
Pros: Great variety of toys, good for babies and toddlers alike, low price point
Cons: Sifter lid does not fit bucket well
Buy a Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Seaside Sidekicks Sand Baking Set on Amazon for $13
The best water gun
Why you'll love it: The Stream Machine TL-600 Water Launcher is a low-cost, high-powered water cannon that blasts water dozens of yards across the beach, pool, or backyard.
The simplest effective design is always the best design possible, and it doesn't get much simpler than the design of the Stream Machine TL-600 Water Launcher.
You stick the muzzle of this powerful water gun down into some water — be it a bucket, a pool, the Indian Ocean, or whatever — and pull back on the handle. Then you point the thing at your "foe" and push the handle forward again as hard as you can, blasting that nemesis with a super-powered jet of water. With enough effort and decent arm strength, you can send a stream of water arcing more than 70 feet away.
Unlike with a Super Soaker, these water launchers are quick to load and fire, no prep work of pumping required. And unlike fancier multi-component and/or electric water guns, they are pretty hard to break even when treated roughly. Also, as a Stream Machine TL-600 Water Launcher costs about $12.50, you can always just replace one that finally gives out.
One word of caution: Watch out for kids and for anyone's eyes, because these water launchers create enough pressure to cause serious discomfort and discontent, if not an actual minor injury.
Pros: Powerful long-range stream, easy to use, cheap yet durable
Cons: Can cause minor eye injuries and major hurt feelings
Buy a Stream Machine TL-600 Water Launcher on Amazon for $12.50
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