It's warming up and summer is almost upon us! Time to get your swimming gear and your bucket and spade and head to the beach! We've teamed up with Ga Ga Theatre, inspired by their new show Mrs Armitage & The Big Wave, to come up with some great activities to enjoy with your family at the beach this Summer.

1. Create a Sand Kingdom

Don’t just make a sand castle, make a sand kingdom! See what different shaped and sized sand castles you can make all next to each other and build a moat around them all and you have a Sand Kingdom! You can also write and draw in the sand using your fingers. You can draw a picture or write a message!

2. Sand Sculptures

If you want something a little more creative or artistic to do as a family you could make sand sculptures. The simplest and best sculptures to start with are a crocodile, a mermaid or a turtle. The possibilities are endless and you and your family could make anything – including a sandman instead of a snowman!

3. Face Off

As well as sand sculptures you can create 3D art in the sand! Firstly have a treasure hunt where everyone gathers any materials they want to use (seaweed, shells, rocks, etc.) and then when everyone has returned they have to use the materials to create a portrait or face - You could make your very own family sand portrait!

4. Jellyfish Umbrellas

A great way to jazz up your beach umbrellas is to turn them into a jellyfish! If you have any unwanted summer scarves they work great, but tissue paper, or something similar will do just fine (if you are using craft materials cut them in to wiggly strips first). Attach them on to the tip of each point on the umbrella and then make some eyes and stick them on and you have a Jellyfish Umbrella! You can then use them to relax under or play with at the beach.

5. Snorkelling

There are lots of fish in the sea as Mrs Armitage discovers and you could go snorkelling and see how many different types of fish you can spot – like a fish treasure hunt! All you need is some snorkelling gear! You could also have family snorkelling races.

6. Beach Volleyball

All you need to play beach volleyball is a net and a ball (and some beaches already have a net)! A beach towel will do just fine for a net as well. It is lots of fun and a great way to get everyone involved. To make it harder (and sillier!) you can make new rules like you can’t use your hands, or you have to play sitting down!

7. Frisbee Golf

Frisbee is an absolutely classic beach game. Everyone can play together, you can play on the beach or in the sea and if you have a dog, like Mrs Armitage, they can play too! To mix it up a bit you can use items you brought to the beach like a blanket or umbrella as a target and see who can get the Frisbee the closet to the target!

8. Beach Ping Pong

This may sound a little odd, but it is great fun. Take two ping pong paddles (or however many you want) and a small plastic ball and get into the sea! In the shallows where everyone can stand up, start hitting the ball towards each other as it gets faster the harder, sillier and wetter the game will get!

9. Rubber Rings

Rubber rings are fantastic to have at the beach. They are great for those who do not feel comfortable swimming far or for those who want to sunbathe, while being in the sea! They are also amazing for riding over waves if the sea is a bit choppy as a relaxing alternative to surfing. If you like to swim underwater they can even be used as an obstacle course! Even Breakspear (Mrs Armitage’s dog) loves them...

10. And lastly of course, Surfing!

If you want to be like Mrs Armitage then grab a surf board! Some places and beaches offer surfing lessons or if you already know how to surf just go and catch a wave or join a surf competition!

All images in this article are taken from the book Mrs Armitage and the Big Wave by Quentin Blake published by Red Fox. This blog was written by Hannah Mathieson from Ga Ga Theatre.