A week at the beach is a fun way to bring the whole family together. Staying at a vacation home will help you enjoy everything your vacation destination has to offer — whether you plan on relaxing on the beach, participating in water sports or camping outside in the sand. To have the best family vacation, you need to come up with ideas for activities to keep your family occupied.
Your first step to planning your vacation is figuring out where you’ll stay. While a hotel is a safe, reliable option, a vacation home will provide you and your family with more flexibility and space. If you want to try something different, rent a vacation home to enjoy your dream family vacation.
Benefits of a Vacation Home
While you could stay at a hotel, you’ll love staying at your vacation home right next to the beach. A vacation home rental is a unique place to take in all the benefits your vacation destination has to offer. Family beach rentals are ideal for the whole family because:
You will have privacy while also being close to the beach.
You can prepare your meals in your rental house, which will save you and your family money.
You have more flexibility in choosing the style of house you want for your family vacation. You could even pick an apartment or a guest home if one of those options works better for your family.
You can fit more people in your space for less money.
You can choose your location, whether you want to be on the beach or in more of an urban setting.
Your rental home may come with amenities like a swimming pool, a tennis court or laundry services.
Your rental home is a quiet space for you and your family to relax after a long day.
A vacation home is a fun way to save money and make memories with the kids. When you rent a vacation home near the beach, you could walk out your front door and easily escort your whole family to the beach.
Activities for the Beach
Rent a vacation home near a family-friendly beach to spend quality time with your loved ones. Make these beach activities part of your summer itinerary.
Go fishing: Fishing is a memorable experience for the kids and a great way to save money on dinner if you catch something good! Before bringing your fishing gear, find out fishing regulations of the beaches at your vacation destination.
Rent a kayak, paddleboat or paddleboard: Beaches may offer you a chance to explore along the shore. Rent a kayak, paddleboat or stand-up paddleboard and race your family members! If you are feeling adventurous, some places even offer paddleboard yoga.
Skip stones: Teach your kids how to skip stones over the water at the beach. Turn it into a competition and try skipping your stone the furthest.
Play badminton or volleyball: Look for a badminton court near your vacation destination, or set up a net right on the sand. As long as you have the right equipment, you can play badminton or volleyball.
Fly a kite: You can make a kite, or you can bring one from home. Fly your kite high above the sandy beach and impress your kids.
Have a picnic at the beach: You can bring food anywhere, provided regulations don’t prohibit it. If you’d rather eat where your food will be safe from sand, you can have a picnic at your vacation home or a local park. Before making plans to have a picnic on the beach, make sure the beach you attend allows food or beverages. Clean up after your picnic to preserve the beauty of the beach.
Look for dolphins: At the beach, you will surely find whales and dolphins on the horizon. Do some research on your vacation destination to find out what kind of water animals to expect in your area.
Frisbee: You could bring a Frisbee to the beach and play catch with your kids. You could also play Frisbee golf or Ultimate Frisbee if you have older kids.
Build sandcastles: Bring a sandcastle kit to help your little ones build a sandcastle with ease. Your DIY kit may include cups and buckets, plastic utensils and paintbrushes, or you could buy a pail and shovel at the dollar store.
Look for seashells: Take your family for a walk and look for treasures along the beach — an activity otherwise known as beach combing. You may find seashells, sea glass or interesting sea animals that have made their way onto the shore. Make fun jewelry or crafts from the beach artifacts you find.
Write a message in the sand: Leave a message for other guests, or take a picture of your message to make a unique postcard for your friends and family back home.
Explore the Boardwalk: Walk the Boardwalk with your family to grab a bite to eat or buy souvenirs or replacement items for your trip. Some Boardwalks even have arcade games and rollercoasters to entertain your kids and teens. Take a break from the sun and peek your heads into some shops along the Boardwalk.
Take a hike: Walk along the beach or find a nature trail to appreciate the beauty around you. You and your family may even see some wildlife along the way! After your hike, you could go back into the water to cool down.
Bike down the Boardwalk: Rent a bike and take the family for a ride on the Boardwalk. The beach breeze provides a comfortable atmosphere for bike riding. Some beaches only allow biking during limited hours, so do your research ahead of time to fully enjoy your experience.
Water sports: Check what water sports are available at your vacation destination. While some may be too advanced for children, you can have fun with your teens or young adults by challenging them to a jet ski or surfing competition.
Take photographs: Capture the memories you make with your family with a camera or phone. You could even have a beach photo scavenger hunt to give your kids creative ways to take pictures.
Daydream: Let your kids’ imaginations run wild. Maybe they will find some interesting shapes in the clouds, or they will craft something fun in the sand. You could also enjoy the opportunity to daydream. Take some time to enjoy your free time away from work. Let your mind wander and appreciate the beauty in front of you.
Watch the sunset: A beautiful sunset symbolizes the end to your perfect day. Your vacation home rental on the beach provides easy access to this beautiful scene.
Activities at Your Vacation Home
After a long day at the beach, your family may want to rest in your vacation home. You can enjoy the amenities offered in your vacation home while making memories with your family. Here are some things to do on a staycation.
Play outside in the rain: The rainy weather forecast can make your beach vacation more fun for the kids. They could splash in the puddles, make mud pies or dance in the rain.
Throw water balloons: If you have a backyard, you could have a water balloon fight to cool off in the summer heat. You could also have a water balloon toss or play water balloon baseball with a plastic bat.
Play a game or do a puzzle: Sometimes, vacation homes provide playing cards, board games and puzzles for you to play with your family. You could also bring your favorite game or jigsaw puzzle from home. If you’re completing a puzzle, time yourselves and try to make a new record each time.
Make origami: You could learn how to make origami together. You could even make paper airplanes.
Play charades: Split up into teams and silently act out a movie character, action or song.
Watch a movie: You could pop some popcorn or buy some candy and watch a movie with your family. If the weather is fair, you could even set up an outdoor movie night.
Read a book together: Instead of watching a movie, you can take turns reading through a book. For more advanced readers, you can pick out a chapter book for them to enjoy, or you could read your favorite children’s book to your little one.
Make pizza: Kids will enjoy choosing the toppings that will complete their creations. Pizza is an inexpensive treat that will entertain the whole family.
Let your kids make dinner: Your kids may want to plan dinner one night. If you have older kids, they can do most of it on their own, but if you have younger kids, you may have to give them more guidance.
Make ice cream: You can make ice cream in a bag or with an ice cream maker. You can find easy recipes online for your family to enjoy.
Go camping indoors: You could put sleeping bags on the floor in your living room and have a camping night. If your rental home comes with a backyard, you could even camp outside.
Build a fort: Make a fort in your living room using pillows and blankets.
Stargaze: After the sun sets, you could have a cozy night wrapped in blankets under the summer stars. You could use a sky map before your trip to find out which stars will be visible. You may even see a meteor shower during specific times of the year.
Catch lightning bugs: You can use your hands or a jar to collect lightning bugs and watch them light up in your hands.
Tell stories: You could sit under the stars and share stories with your family. Create memories together while sharing your experiences with those you love.
Activities for Fun Around Town
For a break from the beach and your vacation home, you can have fun in the local area. You could explore all your vacation destination has to offer for entertainment and leisure. Your family will enjoy exploring the town and visiting local shops.
Visit a historical site: In a city rich with history, you could walk through the streets and visit places that commemorate what happened years ago.
Go to a local carnival or county fair: Visit your vacation destination’s web page to discover upcoming events in the area. Towns usually hold carnivals or county fairs at the same time each year. Carnivals are a great experience for the kids to eat cotton candy, play games and pet zoo animals.
Visit a local farmers’ market: If you’re staying in a rental home, you can buy food at a local farmers’ market and cook the food right in your kitchen. Your beach rental home may also be within easy walking or biking distance of other types of markets, like a local seafood market.
Watch a minor-league baseball game: Minor-league baseball is always family-friendly, and there may even be opportunities for you to win giveaways.
Watch a concert or a show: You may be able to find a free concert, or you can go to a concert hall. Enjoy music from any era with your family. You can also see a live theater performance with your family.
Shop at a flea market or garage sale: Flea markets offer you and your family a creative way to shop and find old treasures. When you arrive at your destination, you could research flea markets or garage sales happening in your local area.
Go out to eat: Instead of going to the same chain restaurant you probably have at home, you could visit a restaurant that is unique to your vacation spot. If you’re vacationing at the beach, try out a seafood place with fresh fish or lobster.
Go to a spa: If you need a break from the excitement of your vacation, you could book an appointment at the local spa. While spas usually have packages that are safe for children, a spa may be an excellent opportunity to leave your older kids at home and enjoy the night by yourself or with your spouse.
Experience the local arts: A work of art would make a perfect souvenir to remember your enchanting vacation with your family. You could visit an art gallery and peruse the creations of local artists. You could even take an art class to make a creation of your own.
Make Ocean City, NJ, Your Family’s Vacation This Year
Complete our free visitors’ guide to receive information about Ocean City, New Jersey, and about renting a beautiful vacation home by the beach. Due to the island’s popularity, you typically have to book your vacation rental a year in advance. Browse through our available accommodation options and book your trip to Ocean City, New Jersey, today!
