6 Reasons We Love Spending Summer Days at the Beach

Ah… summer days at the beach! Don’t you just love them? Let’s look at some reasons we love spending summer days at the beach and how to make them even better.

The Sun

It’s important to enjoy the sun safely, but my oh my, this is what we dreamed about all winter (at least if you live in Wisconsin, where Lands’ End is based!). The warmth of the sun on your face is one of the most delightful sensations there is, so soak it up while you can!

Speaking of enjoying the sun safely, consider sun protection swimwear in addition to a good sunscreen. Rashguards are another good option for additional sun protection. To help ensure both short-term and long-term good health, you’ll want a sun care routine that is easy to follow and keeps you safe from the sun.

The Surf

Whether you’re swimming, surfing, running relay races, or just enjoying the sound of the surf and that universal feeling of calm that washes over you when you hear it, there is nothing like it. Make sure to know when high tide and low tide will be to ensure that you have all the fun that you want to while the beach is “clear.”

If you have little ones or landlubbers in your crew, it can be fun to teach everyone a bit about the tides and how they are affected by the sun and the moon (a quick internet search can take you to a reliable site that will be educational). If your schedule and the geography permit it, a sunrise over the water on the east coast or a sunset over the water on the west coast are wonderful experiences to share.

The Sand

Burying your toes, walking across it, digging in it, or building sandcastles, sand is almost a natural antidote to stress. Playing in sand (whatever that means to you) has a lovely calming effect on people, and the beach is the perfect place to do it.

If you have little ones in your crew, make sure to stash some toy shovels and pails in one of those canvas totes and beach bags that you are sure to have on hand. If you have either preschoolers (or maybe even teens — they’re kind of like overgrown tykes sometimes), having easy beach toys handy will make you the cool parent, aunt, or friend for the day. Who doesn’t love that?

Beach Sports

Whether it’s beach volleyball, relay races, water sports, or even touch football, the beach is a natural venue for some athletic fun. You can play your sport, cool off in the water, and then flop onto a beach towel or into a lounge chair to chill out afterward.

If your crew likes a good workout, check what facilities the beach has in advance. If you just have lovely stretches of sand, bring a frisbee and encourage the gang to bring tennis shoes that can get wet or water shoes to protect their feet and keep the games going for hours.

Friends and Family (Even Sans Electronic Devices!)

Yes, we get to spend time with our friends and families when we aren’t at the beach, but in addition to the swimming, running, and beach games, being present with loved ones without electronics can be a gift these days. Depending upon how many people are in your crew and their ages, this may be difficult to enforce. You may need to let the teens take some selfies or check in with social media but do your best to keep it to a minimum. Sports that don’t allow for electronic use or card games are a great choice. Especially if the day becomes an evening of lingering at the beach by a fire, look for opportunities to share family stories or ask some open-ended questions that will keep the conversation going and lead to laughter and bonding at the beach.

Pure Relaxation

Where else besides the beach can an adult take a nap in public? Seriously, with work, family, community involvement, and hobbies, how often do we just stop, put our feet up, and relax? Whether you bring that fun beach read or just doze in the sun (while making sure not to bake in the sun), this is where it’s at for summer.

If sunning isn’t your thing, you can always wear a light maxi dress or beach cover-up and make a fashion statement with a big hat and sunglasses. If you have little ones in your crew, plan as much as you can and “take shifts,” if possible, on childcare to create some much-needed downtime for each adult. You’ll be the better for it.