Seventeen super fun beach games for kids and adults. This Beach Games List PDF gives you everything you need to have fun on the beach. Use for family outings, a day trip to the beach, a fun birthday celebration, or a simple way to spend time by the water. All these beach activities are age-appropriate from youth to adults.
It’s time to stop spending time on the beach laying out and do something fun and active instead. These best beach games are so much fun. Once you get started, you’ll find yourself excited to work your way down the list. These games are great for parties on the beach and are a great way to hang out and unwind.
How do you make a beach day fun?
Being at the beach is fun in itself but there are always wants to amp up the fun. With the beach providing the perfect setting for having “fun in the sand and sun“, why not use all that open space to create some fun memories playing games? Just be ready for everyone at the beach to want to join in on the fun.
If you are looking for a list of the best beach activities, try some of the following.
- Sand Angels: Make sand angels – use seaweed, shells and other beach items to decorate her face
- Sand Castle: Split into teams and have a sand castle contest. Teammates will try to build the most attractive or largest sandcastles around.
- Beach Volleyball: Play beach volleyball. Use a volleyball net or draw a line in the sand near the water’s edge.
- Ball Games: Play classic and new ball games like bucket ball, bocce ball, paddle ball, spike ball, or beer pong for the adults (totally counts, right?)
- Tug of War: Another classic game perfectly played in the sand. Twist it up and add a trench in the middle filled with water. See which team is the strongest!
- Baseball at Sunset: Grab your mitt and play the most beloved game in America. You could even play with a tennis ball for added distance.
Of course we find beach games are a perfect way to create memories, break the ice and bond.
The great part about setting up beach party games is that it’s not a hard process at all. Most of these games require minimal prep and effort and need just a few easy supplies. They might all fit in your beach bag for easy toting. Before you know it, there will be friendly competition happening all around.
17 Fun and Exciting Beach Games to Play!
Have fun going through the great beach games listed below. They’re easy and fun and perfect for kids of all ages. These beach activities are a must have and as you will see they are really fun. Plenty of laughter included. Be sure to include sunscreen because they are so distracting, you might forget to take a break and add an extra layer.
Beach Theme Scavenger Hunt
With so many cool things to see on the beach, this beach treasure hunt is certain to be a blast. Just create a list of treasures, split into two teams, and see who can find all the items first. Make certain that you add some fun and wacky things that you’d only be able to find on the beach.
Supplies: paper, pencil, beach scavenger hunt list
Mini Golf
You don’t need a golf course to play golf. Just bring a few clubs from home (or pick up some cheap ones at a second-hand store) and make the beach be your course. Dig a hole in the sand and put or put a few cups out to try and hit the balls into. Use your creativity to play just like a real round of golf where the person with the lowest swings wins.
Supplies: cups, golf ball, golf clubs
Squirt Ball Relay
The quicker you are here, the better. Grab a blown-up beach ball and a squirt gun full of water and see who can use the water from the squirt gun to push the ball across the sand to the finish line. Don’t worry, you’ll more than likely run out of water and have to run to the water and fill up during this time!
Supplies: beach ball, water gun
Beach Towel Parachute
The concept of this game is fun and addicting. Have a beach ball in the middle of a beach towel. Have two people hold the tall and use it to bounce the beach ball up and down. The more bounces, the better because if it hits the ground, you have to start counting all over again.
Supplies: beach ball, beach towel
Musical Towels
The same rules apply here as musical chairs but you use towels instead. Lay the towels out on the sand, have the music playing, and let everyone walk around and do their best to scramble to a towel once the music stops!
Supplies; beach towels, radio/music player
Beach Bowling
Put those empty water bottles to good use. Line them up in the sand and then use a ping pong ball and try to knock them down. Can you do a strike? Only time will tell!
Supplies: empty water bottles
Shell Shuffle
Who can balance the shell the best? All you need to do is balance dry sand on a spoon and place a shell on top and the race is on. Who can carry the shell back and forth the quickest without it falling off?
Supplies: shells, sand, spoons
Hole Sand Hole
If you’ve ever played cornhole, you’re going to have a leg up on this game. Start by digging five holes into the sand and make certain to give them a bit of space in the sand as well. Use a ball and do your best to fit the ball into the holes so start racking up the points.
Supplies: balls
Flick n Sticks
This game is fast and fun to set up! All you need are 4 sticks/stakes, 4 cups (2 pairs of the same color), and a frisbee. Put the stakes in the sand several feet apart from one another. (You can decide the distance and can easily shorten or lengthen it as needed.) Split into teams of 2 and have each team stand at a stake. Take turns tossing the frisbee back and forth with the main goal of getting points. Points are earned by throwing the frisbee in between the 2 stakes and extra points are also earned for knocking the cup off the stakes as well.
Supplies: stakes/sticks, cups, frisbee
Frisbee Golf
Who says you need a frisbee golf course? Just set out some fun beach items and use your frisbee to toss and get as close as you possibly can. The one who throws the flying disc closest wins that “hole”.
Supplies: beach items, frisbee
Water Bucket Relay
Such a fun water challenge to play! Grab a cup and a couple of buckets and get geared up. Each person takes the empty cup, runs and gets water in it, then takes that cup of water and runs to the empty bucket to fill it up. The first person or team to fill their bucket wins!
Supplies: plastic cups, buckets
Beach Blow
It’s time to get down on your hands and knees and dig! Take a spoon or a small shovel and dig out a path. Then drop a ping pong ball into the groves, grab a straw, and blow your air through the straw to move the ping pong ball down the path. If you don’t want to dig two paths for competition, just set a timer and see who can complete it the fastest.
Supplies: spoon/small shovel, straw, ping pong ball
Hot Potato
Since you’re on the beach it just makes sense to pass around a beach ball instead of a potato, right? Have everyone sit in a circle and start passing the ball around while the music is playing. Be quick and careful with your passes as the person who is holding the beach ball when the music stops is out of the game.
Supplies: beach ball, music player
Sponge Relay
Just how much water does a sponge really hold? You’re about to find out. Have sponges in a bucket of water at the start line, and an empty bowl at the finish line. Once “go” is said, each person then has to grab a soaked sponge, sprint down to the empty bucket, squeeze out the water, then head back to do it all over again. The team who fills the empty bowl overflowing with water first wins!
Supplies: sponges, bowls
Beach Ball Relay
Air up those beach balls and get ready to run. Have each team line up, one behind each other, and get ready. The first person grabs the ball, sprints to the other end of the beach, and then sprints back to hand off to the next person in their relay line. The kicker? If the ball gets dropped at any point in time, they have to start over and do it again!
Supplies: beach balls
Pass the Water
Do you have what it takes to not spill a drop? Have teams line up in a row and give the first person in line a cup of water. Once “go” is said, the person holding the water cup full of water has to hold the cup over their hand and pour out the water into the empty cup of the person behind them. Do this until the entire team has done it and then see what team has the most water in the final cup!
Supplies: cups
Wet Shirt Relay
Line up the teams and get ready to “wring” out some fun. Have a bucket with a t-shirt in it, ready to go. The first person in line grabs the wet shirt and sprints across the beach to an empty bucket or bowl, waiting to be filled. The person wrings all the water out of the shirt and then takes the shirt back to the next person in line who starts the process again. The first team to fill the bucket with water wins!
Supplies: beach bucket or bowl, T-shirts
Beach Games List Printable
Ready to have these hilarious beach games list in your hand? Grab it now!
The next time you’re headed to the beach, don’t forget to take along this Beach Games List PDF. These games to play on the beach are certain to help you have a fun time!
Get the Beach Games Printable Set
How to Print at Staples
Watch this video for how I print my PDF documents at Staples.
Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share a picture of your family games at the beach. Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!
Need beach tips? Take a look at these Beach Hacks and Tips from a Floridian. Pin to Pinterest to save for later.
Don’t forget to check out these Beach Camping Basics & Tips. Pin to Pinterest to save for later!
Outdoor Summer Games for the Kids are a great way to get them out and excited for the summer days! Play in the backyard, park, or neighborhood. Perfect for a big field! Pin to Pinterest to save for later!
Do quick and easy games appeal to you? Grab these 60 second Minute to Win it Games with Water. Perfect for beach activity, on the lawn, at youth group or even a birthday party. So much fun! Pin to Pinterest.
Originally published June 29, 2021.
WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.