road to family fun

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make a splash

For many families, a summer escape to the beach means lounging on sun chairs, eating potato chips and ice cream cones, and wading gently into the water to cool down every so often. With a little thought and a bit of imagination, you can bring health and fitness into the picture, too.

“Parents can get their kids active by creating a scavenger hunt where kids are challenged to find or count items such as shells, seagulls, sand castles, shark teeth, and beach balls,” Jones says.

Rent a paddleboat, kayak, raft, or canoe and build memories while burning calories. Don’t forget the sunscreen and life jackets. Younger children may be intimidated by big waves in the ocean or the sea, so bring along plenty of plastic cups, beach pails, shovels, and spoons for building sand castles.

When it comes time to eat, steamed local seafood is a healthy way for kids to try something new that they’ll remember. Look for open-air fish boils, where seafood and veggies are served up as part of a community picnic.