I love going to the beach. The feeling of the warm sand on your feet, the sound of the waves gently lapping onto the shore, the blue skies - it’s so relaxing. Whenever I start to feel worn out from my daily problems, I head out to the beach.
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We welcomed our first child into the family in the past two years, and while I couldn’t be happier, I have had fewer opportunities to head to my favorite beache. Now that my little one is old enough to crawl on his own, I decided to plan a trip to a beach this summer. You probably know how much energy kids can have and how hard it can be to keep them occupied, so I knew I had to find some activities so my little bundle of joy could expend his energy.
Therefore, I reviewed about 30 products and developed a list of the best beach and ocean toys for kids, two of which I ended up purchasing for myself. This list is divided into two categories: toys suitable for babies and toddlers and those meant for older kids. Hopefully, it will help you make the right choice for beach and ocean toys for your kids!
Best Beach And Ocean Toys for Kids Aged 1-5 Years Old
OUR TOP PICK
Making castles and sand sculptures is a blast for kids, so how about getting yours a small-sized sand excavator? The Big Dig is designed for those future architects and engineers who have graduated from making sand castles into bigger projects!
Features:
- Two-handed digger & dumper for digging up to 15 inches deep
- Arms can extend up to 33 inches
- Metal body
- Can carry up to 110lbs
- 360 degree swivel arms
Mini Dig & Dump Crane: This toy does its job perfectly. Your child will love the digging action and the control they can exert over the machine's arms to lift and dump sand at the beach.
Wide Base Wheels: The wheels on the Big Dig are quite wide. They can handle all kinds of terrain, including sand and snow. You can get your child to shovel your backyard with this toy in the winter too!
Comfy Seat: Your child will love the comfortable seat while being engrossed in his construction activities.
Long Reach: The arms can reach out to as far as 33 inches, and the digger can dig up to 15 inches deep. The crane can do a complete 360-degree swivel.
Pros:
- Wide based wheels
- Durable
- Long reach
- Thick plastic comfortable seat
Cons:
- A bit difficult to assemble. There is one point where all the washers and threads go, so you’ll have to hold everything together while you put in the screw.
This toy is meant for three years olds and above, and most kids have loads of fun playing with this. It is a unique gift, and it’s a great toy for birthday parties where everyone gets to take turns with it.
EDITORS CHOICE
Babies love bubbles! Bubbles are magical, and when you get a clear area to blow them in, like a sunny beach near an ocean, the bubbles light up with rainbow colors!
I love this toy because not only is it pretty, but it helped my child to learn to walk, which is - as every parent knows - a very important milestone. He just loved the bubbles that came out of it as he walked along, holding the handle in his little fingers.
Features:
- Lots of bubbles!
- Garden and beach sounds
- Bright colors
- Lasts long
- Safe
Encourages Movement: This bubble machine is a lovely way to help your child to learn to walk by holding on to the handle, and the bubbles just add to the fun! It also helps your child to develop fine motor skills.
Bubbles! My boy just laughed and laughed at the bubbles. Every time he moved the machine forward it made bubbles, and he just couldn't get enough of it. It comes with three bottles full of bubble maker solution, which will last for at least a month. Once you run through those three bottles, you can purchase new liquids here.
Realistic Sounds: Children learn not just through words but through all of their senses. With the motor sounds on this machine, they can begin to understand that they are operating a machine like a lawnmower.
Installation: All you have to do is put the four tires together on the main body with the small screwdriver provided. Then attach the handle and put in 3AA batteries. Everything snaps together. It only takes minutes to assemble.
Pros:
- Easy to install
- It comes with three bottles of bubble maker to start you off
- Kids love the gentle humming motor sound of an engine
- The handle is quite flexible
- It's very lightweight, so your child will find it easy to move around
- Bubbles!
Cons:
- The toy is a bit flimsy, even though it operates well
- The handle is not height-adjustable; it is fixed at a height of 19 inches (though you can remove the handle for easier storage)
- A bit expensive
If you are looking to have hours of fun on the beach blowing bubbles, I recommend trying out this toy. It's a great way to help your child to learn to walk as well.
BEST VALUE
Kids love things that move, and they adore sand and water. This is one cute toy that involves all of these aspects. There is a funnel at the top of the toy, in which you put either sand or water. Then you can watch the sand flow through a tower of brightly colored, sea creature-shaped pans and a wheel. By adjusting the pans to the left or right, your child can watch the direction of the flow change.
It's great fun for your toddler and it is also a STEM toy, which helps your child understand basic concepts of flow and motion. The best part of this toy is that you will find kids flocking together when they see yours playing with it. This toy encourages group play, which supports teamwork and active playing.
Features:
- Non-fading bright colors
- Convenient carry handle
- Sturdy plastic
- Fish designs on the pans
- Floats on water
Lots of Learning: This toy is full of learning opportunities for your little one. Cause and effect, the flow of bodies, laws of motion and more! It’s a great toy for playing in groups with friends and helps your child develop fine motor skills. Put this toy in a small waterfall and watch as the children enjoy the motion of the wheels!
Safe to Play: What I love about Melissa & Doug's toys is that they always take care of every detail to keep your child safe. In this case, the quality of plastic and the rounded corners of each pan are perfectly aligned with M&D's safety standards.
Convenient Handle: There is a small handle on top, so you don't have to get your hands dirty when you pick it up after the children have played with the toy.
Pros:
- Lightweight and does not require any installation
- Bright and beautiful colors
- Kids love the big wheel in the middle
- Handle on top for easy pick up
Cons:
- The flow of sand is a bit slow, especially in the top funnel
- The lower yellow spinners take a bit of effort to spin
- You do have to clean it a lot, but that’s to be expected from a sand toy
This is a fun toy for children to play together as a group. Honestly, it's a kid magnet! You just set it up and watch as the toddlers gather around it.
RUNNER UP
No list of beach and ocean toys would be complete without a sand toy set. Click N Play's sand toy set has everything your little one needs to carve out beautiful shapes in the sand.
Features:
- BPA-free plastic
- Large mesh back with shoulder straps for carrying
- Contains a bucket, a couple of large shovels and sand sifters
- Contains three smaller rakes and a sprinkler bucket
- Contains animal shapes: turtle, seahorse octopus, duck and starfish
Backpack and Toy Bag: I loved the bag that comes along with this toy set. You can never carry too much stuff when going to the beach, so the extra space for your kid’s toys is welcome. When it's time to wash the toys, you simply put everything in the bag and cleaning becomes easy-peasy.
Sturdy Plastic: The plastic on these toy pieces is quite strong. It will last for years. The plastic is BPA-free as well.
Learning: It's a nice way to teach your kid about aquatic animals; my toddler learned "starfish" for the first time from this sand toy.
Pros:
- Multi-use bag for carrying toys and easy cleaning
- Durable and BPA-free plastic
- Lightweight and a perfect size for children's hands
Cons:
- The tools and toys are a bit smaller than you might expect
Sand toys are a staple on the beach for smaller kids. This is a nice set and the main advantage over similar products is the mesh bag that comes with it, making it easy to carry and clean out sand when it has dried up.
RUNNER UP
What's more fun than a squirt gun? When there's loads of water all around you, why wouldn't you want to drench people in it? These foam pool noodles are a colorful and fun way to play with water near a swimming pool, a lake or near the ocean.
Features:
- Durable construction
- Fun animal characters
- Set of four in one
Safe and Fun: This is one of the safest ways to play with the water at a beach. You and your kids can squirt water on each other, throw it in the air up to 30 ft, spray it on unsuspecting passers-by, and no one will get hurt.
Cute: The noodles have cute animal faces and a variety of colors.
Easy to Carry: These pool noodles are slender and easy to carry.
Pros:
- Safe for playing
- Durable plastic
- Powerful spray
Cons:
- The cute animal heads tend to come off quickly.
These pool noodles are a safe and fun way for the whole family to play at the beach.
Best Beach And Ocean Toys for Older Kids
RUNNER UP
This is one of the most fun beach toys you can purchase for kids 5-10 years old. This amphibious car can do a whole host of flips, turns, and other acrobatics that can keep a child engaged for hours on end.
Features:
- Flips - both front and back
- 360 degree spin on both ground and water
- Reaches 7.5mph in an instant
- 2.4GHz remote control
- Rechargeable battery
- ABS plastic body
Crazy Acrobatics: What do ten-year-old boys love most? RC cars. What if that car can do all sorts of backflips, crazy acrobatics, and run on water? That’s an extremely fun combination! This car can do all sorts of acrobatics. It can flip on its head a full 180-degrees and then flip back right away. It runs at an incredible 7.5mph. It can do a 360-degree turn on the vertical axis in both ground and water. The list goes on!
Very Durable: When you know your toy will be played with roughly, it's important to make it durable. This toy RC car ticks the right boxes with its strong ABS plastic body and high-grade rubber wheels.
Rechargeable: Another thing I loved about this toy is the rechargeable batteries. I have been buying dozens of new batteries every month for the last year, ever since my child grew old enough to play with toys. I appreciate a toy that does not need new batteries every few days.
Pros:
- Works well in all terrains
- Very lightweight
- Can do a lot of stunts
- Durable
- It floats like a dream and has a drain port for easily draining away the water
Cons:
- Though the battery is rechargeable, you will find that the battery works for a very limited time. You will have to charge it often.
If you have boys between the ages of 5 and 10 in your life, you know how difficult it is to contain their enthusiasm at the beach. This is one toy that can keep them engaged and out of trouble.
RUNNER UP
Football on the beach, anyone? Tossing around the old pigskin can be a great way to spend a day with your kids at the beach, but you’ll need a waterproof ball. The good people at WaveRunner have exactly what you need.
Features:
- Waterproof
- Aerodynamic
- Textured grip
Sure-Grip: The special Sure Grip technology used to create the outer layer of the football gives a solid grip even when the ball is wet and slippery. The double-laced ball and texture grip makes it easy to hold on to and throw the ball around.
Waterproof: The ball does not allow water to seep in, thereby increasing its weight and making it difficult to throw it around.
30-day Warranty: I love products that come with a replacement warranty. I always feel satisfied knowing that the manufacturer has faith in their product.
Pros:
- Playing football on the beach needs no extra paraphernalia.
- Waterproof.
- Holds well in hand and does not slip.
- Perfect size for both kids and adults to hold.
Cons:
- I really can't think of a con.
This is one of the best toys that both adults and kids can enjoy out in the sun. The ball is easy to hold, does not let water seep in, and has a long life.
Buyers Guide
Safety
Any children's toy needs to be first evaluated for its safety. Ensure the toy has no sharp edges, cannot cause any damage, and is not made with BPA or phthalate-based plastic. The colors should be nontoxic.
Learning
Beach toys can be a fun way to learn as well! For example, the Melissa & Doug Seaside Sidekicks is a great toy to teach cause and effect to children.
Age Appropriate
Make sure that the toy you buy is age-appropriate. A younger child may not play with a more complex toy like an RC car, and an older child may not prefer simple toys like the Click N Play Sand Toy Set.
Wrap Up
I hope I could point you in the right direction towards a great beach or ocean toy for your child. These are some of the best options that I could narrow down after reviewing 30 products. This list was based on my own experiences, the experiences of my friends, and online reviews.
My personal favorites were the Big Dig and Seckton RC car for toddlers and slightly older kids respectively. The Click N Play Sand toys are a value-for-money item that will keep your kid engaged for a long time.
Please share your own experiences on the beach with these toys. Have a great time!
As a parent of a five-year-old inquisitive boy, I have gained a lot of experience finding fun activities and toys to help him understand science and understanding our world in general. On this blog, you’ll find an extensive amount of tutorials, guides, and toys about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math based on my personal experience to help your child develop critical STEM skills.
