The beach isn’t just for kids and teenagers. All the family can enjoy the shore provided, of course, there aren’t “elbow-to-elbow” tourists. You can also do more than just get a tan (or a sunburn). Get up and get active with some of these suggestions. The old favorites are always fun which is why they’re still popular. You can toss a foam rubber ball Frisbee, play with a beach ball (nice because they deflate for easy carrying and storage), go inner tube surfing (cheap and increasingly harder to get but you can also deflate them). Don’t forget your sand sculpture or sand castle building tools. Here are some other suggestions to consider for enlivening your beach resort vacation.

1. Collect driftwood

Especially if you’re of a creative bent, this can be not only a unique, but profitable pastime as well. What figures or forms do the driftwood shapes conjure up in your mind? What might they look like when painted or polished? How might you mount or display them?

2. Collect shells

Long a popular beach pastime with children and adults alike, it can still serve as an interesting activity for the kids (or you). Even more so if you’re on a new, foreign or strange beach which may well offer up some unique surprises. Make a collage, a display or shadow bow of your best finds when you get back home.

3. Catch crabs and crustaceans

We used to walk along in the surf of the Chesapeake Bay with a framed meter-square piece of window screen to trap all kinds of small crabs, crustaceans, sand worms and even small fish. It made for an interesting series of “catches” and provided endless hours of simple fun for me and my siblings. With eleven younger brothers and sisters, it also kept us out of “trouble” or at least reasonably so. Sometimes a fisherman would buy our “catch” for use as live bait, much to the profit of the local ice cream vendors.

4. Surf fishing

There are all manner of collapsible of multiple piece rod and reel kits you can easily pack in a suitcase or store in a car trunk. Whip it out, local regulations and conditions permitting, and try your hand at whatever the regional waters offer. Some surprisingly large catches can be made in less than two feet of water. Just put on a snorkel and dive mask, wade out to waist-deep water, stand still for a few minutes with your face in the water. You’ll often be thrilled at the number and size of the fish and other sea creatures you’ll see all around you below the surface. In many tropical waters, it’s like standing in an aquarium.

5. Catch live bait

As was mentioned earlier, like bait can often be sold to local fishermen (or use it yourself). Use a cast net, walk along in knee-deep surf with an old window screen and bucket. Minnows, crustaceans, sandworms, small eels and crabs are all susceptible to this method. Be sure to check local regulations first. Keep them alive and fresh in a bucket partially filled with water.

6. Relax or get a “surf massage”

Soak and soothe those aching bones with a relaxing massage. In numerous resort areas there are locals who offer this service right at the beach. Be sure to negotiate prices before services are rendered to avoid any price gouging. Another alternative is to let the sea and surf “massage” you as you lay there. It’s free and the surf never gets tired or overcharges you. Sit facing the surf with your legs outstretched. Move forward until the surf covers you up to the belly button. Change positions forward, backwards or other variations as the surf changes.

7. Go walking

Already identified as a “best” exercise activity, walking is almost always pleasant. Walking on dry sand gives you more of a “workout” than walking on sand that is still damp from the receded surf. For maximum huff and puff, try walking in the surf itself. A normal rate of walking is a mile and a half in fifteen minutes, so a thirty minute walk is a good workout for the day. Fifteen minutes out, fifteen minutes back to your starting point should do you nicely.

8. Nature watch or people watch

Okay so if you’re just in a “do nothing for awhile” mood then nature or people watch depending on where you are. Pick a good vantage point and note what happens all around you. Is that couple married or dating? What do you think they do for a living? What can you tell about them from watching? What animals, birds or sea life are common where you are? Are there sharks? Dolphins? Crabs? Squid or other unusual forms of marine life? What fauna frequents the area? What about snakes? I was more than a little surprised to learn from a local resident that feral cats are a big problem in Acapulco. As I paid more attention during my comings and goings in and around the city I noticed they were almost everywhere. They could become especially troublesome at night.

These and other imaginative activities can help turn a “lay in the sun and burn” day at the beach into a much more relaxing, creative or stimulating time for you and the family. Try some of these as an alternative to the usual “do nothing” day.