Every family is different, but with over 300 miles of coastline, Cornwall has many different kinds of beaches and many different seaside adventures to offer families. Here’s out top 5 things to do for kids that love the beach.
Rock pooling
You can discover so many intriguing creatures and plants in Cornwall’s rockpools. From sea urchins to starfish, this is a really lovely way to discover new wildlife. You may just choose to amble through the rockpools on a day at the beach (being careful not to get cut off by the tide!). There are, however, lots of planned rock pooling tours. Take a look at the events put on by Cornwall Wildlife Trust (https://www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/events) and also there is a lovely website about where to go and what to look out for at Cornish Rock Pools https://cornishrockpools.com/
Bellyboarding
For up and coming surfers, bellyboarding is a lovely way to get experience of catching and riding the waves. It’s best to use a sustainable board as the polystyrene ones get broken up sending plastic into the ocean and Keep Britain Tidy estimates about 16,000 are thrown away each year. You can borrow wooden ones for free all around Cornwall, thanks to Jamie Johnstone of Dick Pearce Bellyboards who founded the Surf Wood for Good campaign. We have some Dick Pearce wooden bellyboards that you can use in our borrow shed here at Bosinver. Take a look at the Surf Wood for Good project for more information.
Kite flying
For those days when the wind is brisk, I always carry a little Pockite with me, so we can throw it up into the air and enjoy watching it dance in the wind. It’s a long way from the days when I would make them out of newspaper, but lets be honest, more likely to last in the breeze!
Crabbing
Any beach with a seawall where you can safely drop a crab line and bait into reasonably deep water is a good place to start this activity. Have a deep bucket with you to pop any crabs you catch, and don’t forget to return them to their home once you’ve enjoyed a brief meeting with them! Raw bacon is often a good source of bait for them. Do remember to take all the crab lines and rubbish home with you. Mevagissey harbour is a great spot to go crabbing!
This guide is helpful too.
www.gonecrabbing.co.uk/pages/crabbing-guide.
Beach cleaning
As some of you may know, I do a lot of beach cleaning and environmental campaign work as Action Nan. I’m a little bit famous for it! And the truth is, my grandchildren absolutely love getting involved in beach cleans. All you need is a pair of gloves and a bin bag. If you don’t have them, ask us at reception here at Bosinver, or head to one of the many 2 minute beach clean stations around Cornwall where you can find bags and a litter picker to borrow. https://beachclean.net/stations/map
