30 Fun Beach Activities for Kids this Summer Vacation

Keep the kids occupied this summer on the beach with these fun activities:

1.) Take beach pictures and build a sandcastle:

Make it a competition between two different sand castles, or give the kids a time limit to finish. Need kids beach toys? WE love this one with a zipper bag.

2.) Oil drilling:

Tell the kids they have five minutes to dig as deep in the sand as they can – the winner is the deepest.

3.) Summer vacation activity: Build a Sandman:

Build a traditional snowman model…using sand. This one works best if you bring a carrot for his nose. Then sit back and watch the double takes. Build a sandman with these cool beach shovel and pail sets.

4.) Sand sculptures:

You can get really creative with these, sculpting turtles, aliens, or anything you want. Decorate with shells and pebbles for added effect. There’s some inspiration here.

5.) Everyone loves body-boarding:

A body or boogie board for a child should be less than £20. Check out this site for tips on how to teach your kid to body-board.
Once they’ve got the hang of body-boarding, you might want to try surfing. There are some good tips about modifying an adult longboard to suit children here.

6.) Beach activities – Try castle battles:

Two teams build a sandcastle each, about 20meterss apart, and place a flag (or towel) on top. Each team has to get the other’s flag. Very simple and a lot of fun.

7.) Play beach games like Sand Bullseye:

Draw three circles in the sand and collect some stones and shells – players have to throw the stones into the circles for points (one for the big outer circle, two for the middle circle and three for the center circle).

8.) Ping pong race at the beach:

Dig a series of sloping channels of equal length and big enough to take a ping pong ball. Put a colored ping pong ball at one end of each channel and race each other blowing the ball down the channel to the finish.

9.) Beach volleyball:

Bring your own net or improvise with windbreakers or picnic baskets.

10.) Nostalgic Beach activities: Cricket or rounders:

Bringing a soft ball and a bat is best for either game, but if you’re playing impromptu you can improvise with what you find on the beach – a piece of driftwood for a bat and a crumpled drinks can for a ball.

11.) Beach activities treasure hunt:

One of the oldest and best – hide objects and coins in the sand for the kids to find. Get a pre-made treasure hunt for kids, here.

12.) Bowls:

Invest in a set of plastic bowls and bring it to the beach with you, or improvise with a few plastic bottles and a tennis ball.

13.) Fill a bucket relay:

Place small plastic beach buckets about ten meters from the water, one bucket for each team. The aim is to be the first to fill the bucket with water from the sea, using only hands to carry it.

14.) Frisbee:

Have one person in the water and another on the sand and toss your favorite frisbee back and forth. We love this glow in the dark frisbee!

15.) Limbo:

Get two people to hold a stick, or tie a ribbon between two trees, and have players go under it as it gets lower and lower. This is great for the beach as the soft sand means no-one’s afraid to fall.

16.) Squirt ball:

Bring water guns and a beach ball to the beach, and draw a line in the sand for each team. Place the beach ball between the two lines. Players have to use the squirted water to get the beach ball over the other team’s line.

17.) Beach Activities: Enjoy the sand with sand memory:

Draw two 4×4 grids in the sand (or smaller for younger children), and get the other team to look away while you place shells on some of the squares in one grid. They have five seconds to look at where the shells are before you cover the grid with a towel, then recreate the pattern on their own grid.

18.) Jewelry making:

Look for shells with holes in them and thread them onto a cord to make a necklace.

19.) Sand art:

Draw pictures in the sand using hands, sticks or shells. You can draw a frame first that each child has to draw their picture inside, or judge the best picture.

20.) Speech pics:

Sit with your back to the players and describe an image in your head or one you have on a piece of paper. Players have to draw their version of it in the sand – the winner is the one whose picture is closest.

21.) Seek and retrieve:

Assign a part of the beach as a boundary, and tell everyone to bring back the most interesting thing they can find within the boundary area. Bonus points for whoever gets back first.

22.) Fly a kite:

If it’s too windy for volleyball, get the kite out and fly it on the beach.

More Beach Activities:

23.) Sharks and minnows:

Get everyone into the water and designate one person as the shark and the rest as minnows. The shark stands in the middle of the group. On ‘go’, the shark has to catch the minnows.

24.) Towel tag:

Dip a towel into the water and roll it up, then tag people by throwing the towel at them. If the towel hits them, they’re ‘it’.

25.) Beach Activities – Try a foot race:

Have a race at the water’s edge, where the sand is wet and harder to run on.

26.) Beach ball bash:

Stand in a circle and hit the beach ball to each other, counting out loud how many times it can be hit without falling. Try and beat the record, or have players shout out something as they hit the ball.

27.) Sand hopscotch:

Draw a hopscotch grid on the sand and use shells as markers.

28.) Beach activities: Moat and bailey:

Build a sandcastle a couple of metres from the water’s edge just before the tide comes in, and get the kids to protect it for as long as possible from the water. They can build a dam of shells, rocks and seaweed, or try a moat for the tide to go into.

29.) Sand Twister:

Draw a Twister board on the sand, using symbols such as crosses, squares etc instead of coloured circles. Assign ‘right foot, square’ and so on.

30.) Collect beach treasures:

See who can find the most interesting beach treasures. From seashells and starfish to beach glass.

For more travel ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Weddings: Top 5 Summer Wedding Themes

Image Via: Weddings By The Color

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1.The Beach Wedding

Summers are hot! And so are beach themes Jokes apart, summers have us all drawn towards water sources. Whether it’s a constant itch to bathe, or the urge to go for a swim, once does find the coolness of the water very soothing. So to beat off the summer heat, a beach becomes a perfect setting for your wedding. Imagine the cool blue seas merging with the sandy beach and you taking your wedding vows! Isn’t it delightful. Once you decide to go for the beach theme, ensure that there is a small restaurant or catering service in the vicinity of the selected location. Tie up with them as this would save you a lot of trouble! The beach restaurant would be a big bonus in the sense that your music, food and restaurant needs will all be sorted at one place.

Image Via: Weddings Indr

2.The Garden Wedding

One can also find some summer solace under the cool breeze of shady trees! A garden theme is also very coherent with the summer season and as a bonus you have nature do up the decor for you-All Free! But first you need to decide, whether the wedding will be in your home garden or a rented out wedding garden. Rented out places usually have the setup for weddings as they keep on catering for events. They usually have tie-ups with caterers, florists and event organisers and can literally have your task cut down to half! If its a home wedding that you are planning for, you need to consider the following a) How many guests you can accommodate? b) Make a selective guest list accordingly, c) cater for rented out restrooms if you feel the need will arise. Two more things, be prepared for bad weather and wear appropriate shoes;)

Image Via: Modernir

Another thought, a garden cum beach wedding can be a lot more fun…Think about it!

Image Via: Wedding Idea Planner

3.The Vintage Wedding

Vintage is a theme that is evergreen, irrespective of the weather! To add that vintage touch to your wedding try to incorporate vintage props like birdcages, old photo frames, lacy tablecloths and runners, gramophones etc.  Vintage styled flower arrangements in wine goblets and antique teapots look very elegant and classy. You could also play some old gramophone records in the backdrop and be off in your grandma’s old vintage car. Another little point, peach and mint is the perfect vintage color scheme, try it!

Image Via: Mod Wedding

4.The Floral Wedding

All weddings, in all seasons use flowers but a floral themed wedding differers in the sense that flowers are the core theme. First choose a certain kind of flower, say for example, you pick zinnias (they grow crazily in summers). Next you use them everywhere. Use them in table decoration, incorporate them in your wedding dress or use a bright one on your hair, your bouquet could be a zinnia bouquet, your partner could have one pinned in his jacket, your bridesmaids could wear zinnia waistbands etc. The other way to use a floral theme would be to to go with a certain color, say yellow, and have yellow flowers generously used everywhere!

Image Via: My Inspired Wedding

5. Evening Weddings

Evening or night weddings give you a chance to work with brilliant lighting. Be sure to have this theme work its magic in the outdoors under the twinkling night sky. Next work your lighting around trees, plants, bushes and shrubs. Use paper chandeliers and hang them from the tree branches. Fill the tables with candles and have lighting practically everywhere!

Image Via: The Wedding Specialists

A wedding is that time of your life when there is so much excitement, happiness and promise. Why not make this beautiful occasion even more special by planning it perfectly. Summer weddings can be fun, pleasant and the kinds that will be remembered for a long time! Choosing an appropriate theme makes it even more special. Do share your thoughts on this post and let us know of your favorite summer wedding themes!

Click here for more Summer Wedding Ideas on Stagetecture!

]]> https://stagetecture.com/weddings-top-5-summer-wedding-themes/feed/ 0 75438 https://stagetecture.com/beach-themed-party-ideas/ https://stagetecture.com/beach-themed-party-ideas/#respond Fri, 16 May 2014 14:43:47 +0000 https://stagetecture.com/?p=65711 With summer fast approaching, an opportunity to throw a party can always be found. On birthdays, wedding anniversaries or just because, summer parties are always fun and there are a lots of ideas on summer party themes. One of them is the Beach Themed Party, a super-fun idea, which can be thrown on a beach, a garden or even inside. Just make sure to follow some of these tips to have a great party, guaranteed!

Image via: Pinterest

Beach Themed Party Ideas

Prepare the Setting

It’s important to choose the right place for the party. Ideally – obviously – is to be able to choose a place by the sea. But a pool can be also fun, even a beautiful garden can be perfect. Having the party inside is also an option, but be sure to choose a well-lit, airy and sunny room so to have a warm, beach-like atmosphere. Decorate the party venue according to the theme you chose by keeping a specific color palette in mind. If you are having a natural environment as a setting, the decoration can be more discreet. In a more artificial environment, you should try to give the natural feel of a beach by opening windows and shades, adding natural elements like sand, pebbles and shells.

Image via: Kara’s Party Ideas

Choose a Specific Beach Theme

To arrange a memorable beach themed party, you can always choose a more narrowed down beach theme, like for example animals and natural items you would find on a beach (craps, sea stars, shells, or beach pebbles are all great). Another way to go is to choose activities on a beach, like swimming, playing beach volleyball, digging with buckets and shovels, surfing, or just sun-bathing and work with those as an inspiration. Lastly, think about foods and drinks you would have on a sunny day on a beach, like watermelons, ice-cream, water ice, cocktails and so on, and try to incorporate those into you’re party’s decor and menu.

Image via: Kara’s Party Ideas

Beach Themed Party Foods and Drinks

As important the setting and decoration is, the foods and drinks you offer are equally important. Choose refreshing beverages and light, airy foods that remind the breeze of the beach. Chilled drinks and fruits are great, and so are ice creams, if you can keep them chilled until serving time. Try to give your foods and drinks a beach-reminding look. For example, make sea star cookies or oyster cookies: Take a round cookie, add some light colored jam or blue or pink frosting and one candy pearl near the edge; now arrange a second round cookie above the first one, letting one side open where the candy pearl peaks out. Jell-O is also a favorite beach party goody, and it easy to transport, too!

To keep your beverages cool, prepare a large bucket filled with beach-themed ice cubes – even stars are great – to give it an unexpected twist.

Image via: Catch My Party

All you need now is some sunny weather, great people to share the joy and an excuse to throw a Beach Themed Party!

In the heat of summer, a bright, crisp tropical palette is as refreshing and attractive as taking a bite out of a ripe watermelon.  On the other hand, most of us have seen tropical colors gone wrong in a room with a little too much of a good thing.  How can you strike a balance and bring in exciting color that doesn’t overwhelm?  It is easy to paint on bold colors with a large brush in an effort to capture their powerful emotions, but for tropical colors to really shine, controlling their appearance in your home is the best way to make a summer statement.

Image via:  Pinterest

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Keep the Theme

First, set a palette.  Narrow your tropical colors to two or three, like coral red, grapefruit yellow, or ocean teal.  To truly bring home the tropics, stick to pure, clean, and saturated hues of each color: leave the toned-down shades on the shelf!  Bring in those central colors in varying amounts from room to room to create continuity.  The dining room may be mostly teal with yellow touches and give way onto a primarily yellow kitchen with coral accents.  The repetition of a few colors in the same shade throughout each and every room creates harmony, intentionality, and will help control the palette from becoming too loud and confusing.

Image via: Houzz.com

Minimize Details

When you have lots of bright color, let your palette take center stage over other elements like pattern and texture.  When you’re decorating, it’s all too easy (and fun!) to add gorgeous details everywhere.  Contrasting curtain trim, pillow fringe, and themed accessories; the list is infinitely long.  While those types of details are great, they are better suited to enhance more neutral palettes that won’t overpower the senses.  Let your color be your color, and edit patterns and extra details to the absolute minimum.

While it’s difficult to use restraint in a design full of explosive colors, your careful editing is what separates a loud and uncomfortable scheme from one that feels vibrant and inviting.  Make sure you include plenty of elements in neutral shades to serve as the background “canvas” for your summer style, and let your creativity show in the bright colors you choose.

For more color ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

When traveling to another place you get to view and enjoy life from a different perspective. Try using this approach when wanting to spice up your interiors. Research and explore the interiors of your favorite ideal locations around the world, allow them to influence and inspire new ideas for designing your own interiors. Come along with me while we examine several other countries and how they can enlighten your spaces!

Bring Travel Destinations into your Interiors

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First Stop…

Travel Destinations: Morocco

Morocco is a country that is located in Northern Africa.  It is known for incorporating Berber, Jewish and Arabic cultural heritage while combining the influences of the French, Spanish, and Anglo-Americans.  So in essence Morocco is somewhat of a melting pot of many cultures and traditions.  This country is a vibrant blend of originality, with twists of boldness rooted from the foundation of the country alone. Check out the image above, we can notice that mixtures of patterns, shapes, bold colors, and accent pieces are all derivatives from the variety of ancestry. We can learn from here to not be afraid to use vibrant colors, patterns, designs and history (heritage) while designing our own spaces, remember to personalize your space to your desires.

Italy – Transform your Interiors with Travel

The country that sticks out like a boot in Europe would be known as Italy.  Where the Italian Renaissance was created, brilliant artists’ excelled, extraordinary philosophers and masterful chefs have descended.  The image above has the neutral color palette incorporated within the space yet look at the detailing design, how exaggerated and pristine the furniture and accent pieces are.  Here we learn balance, simplicity vs. embellishment.  It is fine if you prefer to keep it simple on the outside and focus on accentuating the inner parts (furniture and accessories) causing them to be the focal points. Again, whatever you would like to express.

Travel Destinations: Brazil

Brazil is an exotic country that is located in the heart of South America.  Brazil has the largest bio diversified Amazonian Rainforest in the world.  It is known to have the richest wildlife that contributes to the natural habitats located in Brazil.  And the image above displays those natural characteristics that it is known for.  Look at the color palette here, earth tones.  Plenty of rich dark browns as if resembling the bark of the trees and adding in splashes of greens, reds, blues, and yellows reflecting the nature (flowers and animals) within the area.

Singapore

Singapore is a small country located at the bottom of Malaysia.  It has more of a conservative society although liberalization is beginning to form.  There is no one specific culture for Singapore because it is made up many cultures which adds to the diversified atmosphere that it has.  The image above displays a lot of linear lines and neutral colors yet with an anomaly accent piece as the focal point within the area.  It has a very modern and natural display.  Here, we learn less can be more and one major focal point can be the daring object you may need or want to express within the space which is fine.  All that truly matters is that you find what can help you to create your ideal comfort space.

Now these were just a few places but they were fun to see and learn from, right?  What’s your favorite vacation location? Find out and study it like we did here.  See how you can modify and change your interior environment to reflect that area that you most delight in. Try it out and see if it works for you!

For more travel tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Traveling to warm countries during the peak summer tourist season can mean battling big crowds and elevated prices – but don’t let that put you off entirely. You can avoid the usual pitfalls by scheduling your beach vacation a little earlier in the year.  For the best deals while still getting to enjoy the sun, consider a Turkish excursion in the spring.

There are certain inland areas of Turkey that get chilly in the winter and carry their cold temperatures into the beginning of the year, so stick to the coastline when looking for places to stay.  Targeting coastline hotspots around the Mediterranean Sea is your best bet for springtime warmth.

A popular destination and deserving of a spring visit is Marmaris along the southern coast.  After a relaxing stroll along the water’s edge, you can explore the extravagant nightlife that offers lively clubs and bars. The luxurious beach is covered with lounge chairs and resort staff are available to cater to your every need.

For those of you with an intrepid spirit, a visit to the Butterfly Valley is well worth the trek down the rocky slopes. Fairly untouched by mass tourism, the beach is located between two cliffs and camping is allowed near the sapphire-coloured water.

Olympos is a region that is under conservation to protect it from becoming too developed, so it’s the perfect place to revel in Turkey’s natural beauty and sparkling turquoise waters. It is also home to the Yanartaş burning stone, a collection of twenty flaming vents, which were once thought to have mystical powers although analysis has shown they’re caused by naturally burning methane gas. Whether myth or science, seeing the Yanartaş at night is an unforgettable experience.

For the complete package in one location, Ölüdeniz is one of the most beautiful and famous beaches in Turkey.  Even in spring, there may be more crowds here than other areas but for good reason. Famed for its Blue Lagoon, the water is crystal clear and popular for swimming or water sports. A promenade stretches along the beach and is lined with bars, restaurants and trendy shops.

Turkish days in spring are long, giving lots of daylight time to soak up the sun. Keep in mind though that the evening can still be a little cool so be sure to pack some layers so you’ll stay warm at night. With a little planning, there’s no reason you can’t save money and still enjoy all the wonders to experience in Turkey.

Jane Shelley is an Australian travel writer. She loves venturing to Asia, Europe, Britain and the United States, writing about things that catch her eye including different foods and fashions.

For more travel tips on Stagetecture, click here.

If you are a beach lover that can’t seem to get away on holidays as much as you would like, maybe you should try decorating or incorporating the beach theme to your home. It could be done within a budget or you could splurge out and try and make that beach holiday home you’ve always dreamed about. Nonetheless, there are numerous ways to try to bring the beach atmosphere to your home, minus the ocean of course.

Image via: DIY Newlyweds

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Floor Coverings

This should be the initial stage of your beach theme. It may not be appropriate to lay sand on your floors, however think about the beach and rustic appeal. Disregard carpets altogether and search for your preferred wood finish or wood featured laminate. These will create a warm weather felling and will be the foundation of your beach themed home. Decorate your new floors will colourful rugs and furnishings that will brighten up and provide a warm feeling. You could potentially pick up novelty rugs in the shape of shells, these would definitely contribute to your theme.

Walls

When you think of a beach holiday, you think of warm weather, cool water and breezes and bright sunshine. Incorporate the colours of your imagination with the colours of the beach. Bright blue and yellow painted walls will certainly brighten the atmosphere internally. If you like to be creative, try using specific textures and mixtures of colours for whitewash effects to really set the vibe and unique atmosphere inside your home.

Image via: Ciao Newport Beach

Furnishings

This is the easier part. All you have to do is find furniture that appeals to you and specifies the beach theme. No need for dark and bulky furniture, more relaxed furniture is the key to finalising the interior of your home. Wooden features will reflect off the bright colours and wooden floor coverings. More simple furniture such as sofas and futons will suit effectively and blend in with the desired nature. If you have wide window frontage or sliding glass doors that attracts natural light, you could use this to your advantage to capture as much sunlight as possible. Blinds will be more appealing than curtains and will blend in more with the wooden vibe.

Decorative Appeal

To finalise the internal amenities in your home, embellish your home with preferred fixtures and ornaments that will essentially ‘cap off’ your beach theme. These are the little things such as a water cooler, pot plants and colourful fittings of your choice that will contribute to the theme.

Image via: Etsy

Outside

You don’t have to be as cautious outside. Here you can throw a couple of deck chairs, drink coolers and umbrellas to really enjoy the warm weather. If you have a pool, you could gather in or around it capturing all that the beautiful weather has to offer. You could even go to the extreme and insert sand to the ground outside. This would be more effective on a concrete surface. Yet again use favourable plants and trees to finish off your beach themed home. Another smart idea would be to purchase a gazebo. These create a Balinese theme and by adding palm trees, this will most definitely provide the preferred theme to your home and you can enjoy the cool breeze while enjoying your new surroundings.

For more holiday ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

One from the archives!

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Now that summer is less than a week away, summer vacations and activities to do when at the beach are on everyone’s minds. Everytime my family goes to the beach, it seems like we spend more time trying to think up activities, than actually enjoy the sun, sand and just enjoy ourselves.

Today, our Guest Blogger, gives 30 Beach Activities for kids this summer…save some for the next few times you visit the beach this summer.

_______________________

Keep the kids occupied this summer on the beach with these fun activities:

1.) The oldest and the best – build a sandcastle:

Make it a competition between two different sandcastles, or give the kids a time limit to finish. Find out how to build one properly here.

2.) Oil drilling:

Tell the kids they have five minutes to dig as deeply in the sand as they can – the winner is the deepest.

3.) Enter sandman:

Build a traditional snowman model…using sand. This one works best if you bring a carrot for his nose. Then sit back and watch the double takes.

4.) Sand sculptures:

You can get really creative with these, sculpting turtles, aliens, or anything you want. Decorate with shells and pebbles for added effect. There’s some inspiration here.

5.) Everyone loves body-boarding.

A body or boogie board for a child should be less than £20.
Once they’ve got the hang of body-boarding, you might want to try surfing. There are some good tips about modifying an adult longboard to suit children.

6.) Castle battles:

Two teams build a sandcastle each, about 20 metres apart, and place a flag (or towel) on top. Each team has to get the other’s flag. Very simple and a lot of fun.

7.) Sand bullseye:

Draw three circles in the sand and collect some stones and shells – players have to throw the stones into the circles for points (one for the big outer circle, two for the middle circle and three for the centre circle).

8.) Ping pong race:

Dig a series of sloping channels of equal length and big enough to take a ping pong ball. Put a ping pong ball at one end of each channel and race each other blowing the ball down the channel to the finish.

9.) Beach volleyball:

Bring your own net or improvise with windbreakers or picnic baskets.

10.) Cricket or rounders:

Bringing a soft ball and a bat is best for either game, but if you’re playing impromptu you can improvise with what you find on the beach – a piece of driftwood for a bat and a crumpled drinks tin for a ball.

11.) Treasure hunt:

One of the oldest and best – hide objects and coins in the sand for the kids to find.

12.) Bowls:

Invest in a set of plastic bowls and bring it to the beach with you, or improvise with a few plastic bottles and a tennis ball.

13.) Fill a bucket relay:

Place small plastic buckets about ten metres from the water, one bucket for each team. The aim is to be the first to fill the bucket with water from the sea, using only hands to carry it.

14.) Frisbee:

Have one person in the water and another on the sand.

15.) Limbo:

Get two people to hold a stick, or tie a ribbon between two trees, and have players go under it as it gets lower and lower. This is great for the beach as the soft sand means no-one’s afraid to fall.

16.) Squirt ball:

Bring water guns and a beach ball to the beach, and draw a line in the sand for each team. Place the beach ball between the two lines. Players have to use the squirted water to get the beach ball over the other team’s line.

17.) Sand memory:

Draw two 4×4 grids in the sand (or smaller for younger children), and get the other team to look away while you place shells on some of the squares in one grid. They have five seconds to look at where the shells are before you cover the grid with a towel, then recreate the pattern on their own grid.

18.) Jewelery making:

Look for shells with holes in them and thread them onto a cord to make a necklace.

19.) Sand art:

Draw pictures in the sand using hands, sticks or shells. You can draw a frame first that each child has to draw their picture inside, or judge the best picture.

20.) Speech pics:

Sit with your back to the players and describe an image in your head or one you have on a piece of paper. Players have to draw their version of it in the sand – the winner is the one whose picture is closest.

21.) Seek and retrieve:

Assign a part of the beach as a boundary, and tell everyone to bring back the most interesting thing they can find within the boundary area. Bonus points for whoever gets back first.

22.) Fly a kite:

If it’s too windy for volleyball, get the kite out.

23.) Sharks and minnows:

Get everyone into the water and designate one person as the shark and the rest as minnows. The shark stands in the middle of the group. On ‘go’, the shark has to catch the minnows.

24.) Towel tag:

Dip a towel into the water and roll it up, then tag people by throwing the towel at them. If the towel hits them, they’re ‘it’.

25.) Foot race:

Have a race at the water’s edge, where the sand is wet and harder to run on.

26.) Beach ball bash:

Stand in a circle and hit the beach ball to each other, counting out loud how many times it can be hit without falling. Try and beat the record, or have players shout out something as they hit the ball.

27.) Sand hopscotch:

Draw a hopscotch grid on the sand and use shells as markers.

28.)Moat and bailey:

Build a sandcastle a couple of metres from the water’s edge just before the tide comes in, and get the kids to protect it for as long as possible from the water. They can build a dam of shells, rocks and seaweed, or try a moat for the tide to go into.

29.) Sand Twister:

Draw a Twister board on the sand, using symbols such as crosses, squares etc instead of coloured circles. Assign ‘right foot, square’ and so on.

30.) Collect beach treasures:

See who can find the most interesting beach treasures. From seashells and starfish to beach glass.

For more travel ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

If you’re up to the challenge, there’s lots of creative freedom and huge savings when you DIY your beach wedding. With a little help from Mother Nature you can take credit for a story-book beach wedding anyone would want. Ready to get your feet wet?

One of the best things about getting married at the beach is the free-pass you automatically get to do whatever you want in terms of staging. After considering practical matters like shade and not wearing high-heels  in sand, a well-planned beach wedding gives you dramatic surroundings that need only a few simple touches: perfect for DIY.

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Gather your inspiration from the sea itself, whether you decorate an existing place like a permanent gazebo or you’re intent on building a structure of your own. Choose a lightweight, sturdy frame and assure that it’s built to withstand wind: you’ve got to have a space that’s architecturally sound. Silky fabrics affixed to corners will blow romantically in the ocean breeze and they’re glamorous yet not too pricey. Wrap fabric properly so it doesn’t catch you up!

Reflect shapes of the ocean by using flowers, greens and branches that are tall and graceful, like kelp floating in the sea. Take advantage of the limitless sky above you and design tall arrangements that punctuate your décor with vivid color. Stick with just a few high-drama arrangements — they’ll be highly memorable, cost-effective and easy to transport as needed.

Seashells and sea stars are easy to collect or find on-line, continuing a motif that’s timeless and charming. We love the idea of placing large sea stars half-deep in the sand to mark the aisles and end-chairs for your guests. This kind of special little touch reinforces your theme and lets your guests know they’re in for a treat. Add edible sea stars to your nautical wedding cake or sprinkle seashells across your tables, mixed with sea glass and a few plain tea lights in glass votives… the effect is elegant in an easygoing way.

Tempted by the endless blues and greens of the ocean, you may think your DIY beach wedding is limited color-wise to what the waves bring… but it’s the beach, so there are no limits, remember? In wedding cakes and bouquets, cool shades are stunning and you can’t go wrong picking up a nosegay of hydrangea in sky-blue or holding just a few deep purple/blue Iris with bright yellow centers.

Now take your cue from nature once again:  use that same sunny yellow color at key points throughout your decorative plan, from invitations to cake. Lime green, citrus orange and rosy pinks enhance your beach-y hues. Finally, if it’s your goal to dress up your beach wedding and conjure up a formal atmosphere, add liberal touches of black and white to your table-scape. You’ll get great prices by ordering white linens and adding black is always classic move.

Whatever you decide to DIY your beach wedding, keep things simple and make it yours.

Susanna Miles, from (kisswedding.com) and real wedding blog (kisswedding.com/blog) is a place for brides to go for simple wedding ideas that make planning a wedding on a budget a heck of a lot easier.  The Guide, the Workbook and now the eCourse however help brides de-stress by de-mystifying the wedding industry, simplifying planning, and uncovering alot of the myths surrounding inexpensive wedding ideas.

All of the elements of the K.i.s.s. brand are based on keeping it simple & special – the very things that kept me sane while planning my own wedding and thousands since

For more wedding ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Watch Stagetecture’s You Tube Channel for more DIY ideas

Gorgeous sunset over infinity

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Relaxing pool with adjacent lounging area

Wooded infinity pool

Landscape and architecture complete this outdoor area

Personal infinity pool – wow!

Whether you enjoy an infinity pool looking over the ocean, or a wooded backyard the options are unlimited. Go ahead, dream a little bit!

For more outdoor living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

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