Headed to the beach this summer? You may want to bring back something to remember the trip without it getting in your carpet. While you’re at the beach, your children can have fun with sand pictures they create with found items on the shore.

Take along some shallow bowls or dishes that your children can place wet sand in. Then go with them as they search the beach for pieces of driftwood, shells, rocks, or other items. These will be perfect for creating sand pictures.

Using the sand as a canvas, your child can create pictures with the items they found. Two small stones can be eyes, and a stick can be the mouth or a nose. Let them use their imagination. You may be amazed at what they come up with.

Help your child create a mini garden in much the same way. They can create buildings, walk ways, and an actual garden with little flowers. When they’ve finished creating, they can choose to remove the found items and start again, or you can take a picture of their masterpiece to save for posterity.

Another way to have fun with sand pictures is to use the sand and glue to create images. Here’s what you’ll need:

* Dry sand from the beach (or you can purchase some at a home improvement store)
* Pencil
* Glue
* Construction paper
* Tray to keep the sand contained

Have your child draw a picture on a sheet of construction paper. Let them choose the subject of the drawing, but they may want to use water-related items since they will be using sand in the picture. Place the paper on the tray so the sand will be easy to clean up and so the glue won’t shift when it’s time to add the sand.

Using plain school glue, let the children “draw” by covering the lines of the picture with glue. Have them shake a spoonful of sand onto the glue and shake it over the paper. Continue shaking more sand over the paper until all of the glue is covered. Tell them to carefully shake the paper to remove the excess sand but to be careful because the glue is still wet.

Your child will want to allow the glue on the picture to dry over night. In the morning, they may want to draw other items on the picture or add stickers to it. When they’re satisfied with the way their picture looks, it can be framed and hung on display.

If your family is planning a trip to the beach this summer, you’ll undoubtedly take photos to remember the trip. Your children, however, can take items they find, along with sand from the shore, to create pictures in the sand. They can also create fun with sand pictures that can be displayed in your home. In either case, you’ll remember the fun you had, thanks to your child’s creativity.