Fun Beach Games Without a Single Toy | Maxine of Hollywood

Beach Games for Adults & Kids

• Hitting the beach doesn’t have to mean your only options are sunning and swimming.

• Maxine of Hollywood has a unique list of beach activities for adults and kids to keep everyone occupied.

• Explore our list and discover your favorites!

There’s nothing quite like a spontaneous beach day with the whole family! If you’ve ever made the spur-of-the-moment decision to pack up the car and head to the pier, you surely know what’s bound to happen: you forget stuff.

You start checking the trunk — cooler full of juice boxes? Check. Brand new stylish swimsuit? Check. But when it comes to the beach sand games and toys, they seem to have been left behind.

Not to worry. This is actually the perfect time to get a little creative.

There are plenty of fun ways to spend a beach day that require no props or toys. In fact, we’ve compiled a list of beach games for adults and kids that you can play at the beach without any toys at all. So, whether you left the water guns at home or simply want to try something new, try out these games to play at the beach without equipment on your next beach day.

Seashell Hunting

The rules of this beach game are simple. Spread out on the beach and gather as many pretty seashells as you can. You can split up into teams or move around as a group.

To up the ante, have somebody time the players and see who can gather the most in a given amount of time. This is a great way to explore the environment and the joys of nature. The best thing about this beach game for adults and kids is that it creates fun souvenirs for your little ones to take home.

Limbo Competition

Test the players’ flexibility with this challenge. Try to find a long stick, or just have an adult hold out their arm to serve as the limbo pole. If you’ve never played, the rules of limbo are as follows:

A pole is held horizontally, and players have to bend backward to walk under it without tipping over. You don’t actually need a limbo pole to play this game; a long stick or even an extended arm will do. As the “pole” lowers, it starts getting trickier and trickier to limbo underneath.

This is a great beach game for adults and kids, but we recommend wearing appropriate clothing to avoid wardrobe malfunctions. Consider wearing a cover up or swim dress with attached shorts to protect your modesty. 

Tug of War

If you have an abundance of beach towels and a group of rowdy kids, this is a go-to. Tie the beach towels together to create a rope. Draw a long line in the sand. Have the kids split up into two teams and stand on either side of the line.

Then, they must pull on opposite ends of the rope until the opposing team crosses the line. The first team to pull the other over is the victor! This is a great beach game for all ages, as the sand will cushion any losing team that falls over.

Sand Maze

Mazes can be constructed out of all kinds of things — cornfields, hedges, rocks, and even sand. While the kids are resting or having a snack, design this beach sand game by constructing a beachy maze by drawing lines into the sand.

The beginning of the maze is where the towels are; the exit is down by the water. See if they can play sailor and navigate their way to the bottom without stepping on any lines. This is a beach game for adults and kids because the kids can also spend their time constructing a maze out of sticks and sand. Now, it’s the adults’ turn to make it through.

Build an Inukshuk

Inukshuks are stone structures that the Inuit people built to mark specific locations; they were used for navigational purposes to distinguish different locations in the snow. Some inukshuks also pointed out good hunting spots or sacred sites. Stone structures in the shape of a person are called innunguat.

Have your kids create their own inukshuks and innunguats in the sand by stacking rocks on top of each other to form a structure. This is a fun, artistic game to play at the beach without equipment and an excellent opportunity to learn about a different culture. Just make sure to keep an eye on your kids to make sure they are playing safely with the sand. 

Sandcastle Kingdom

This one probably goes without saying: There’s nothing that screams beach day like patting down sand to build a majestic palace. Most kids will put together sandcastles without even knowing what a sandcastle is.

Together, you can gather sticks, seashells, and seaweed to decorate this sandy structure. If you want to add an extra element, start building multiple sandcastles. You can dig moats, rivers, and roads into the sand to connect them. Soon, you’ll have a whole kingdom.

You can also transform this beach game into a competition! Make this a beach game for adults when you provide a monetary prize!

Island Treasure Hunt

Scavenger hunts have a long and storied legacy reaching back to traditional folk games in the 19th century that taught navigational skills. Why not do one of your own for a unique beach sand game? Simply come up with a list of items that the players have to find and return to base camp.

These can include a pink seashell, a crab, a wishbone-shaped stick, a smooth rock, and more. If you don’t have bags, items can be collected in a towel. Just make sure that the kids don’t wander off too far by themselves.

Here Comes the Sandman

Who says you need to wait for winter to build a snowman? Some moist sand will do the trick just as well in this beach game for adults and kids. Build a sandman and add things you find around the beach for a nose, eyes, mouth, and clothing. If there’s still more fun to be had, start constructing sand pets to keep the sandmen company.

Beach Pictionary

Most of us are familiar with the rules of Pictionary — if not, here’s the idea: somebody thinks of a word, then has to draw it for the other person to guess. It’s basically charades but with pictures instead of gestures.

And what better canvas for these pictures to be on than a wide-open beach? Grab sticks and have the players draw their pictures in the sand. This is a beach game sure to result in lots of laughs.

Musical Towels

If you have ever played musical chairs, musical towels is an easy beach sand game to pick up. Put towels down in a line or circle. Play music — either on a phone or stereo — while the players dance around the towels. As soon as the music stops, all players have to sit down on a towel as quickly as possible.

But here’s the kicker — there is one less towel than there are players. Whoever doesn’t sit down in time is out, and another towel is taken away for the next round. If you don’t have a device to play music on, have someone hum a tune with their back turned to the game. This beach game for adults and kids ends when only one player is left!

Good Timing

All you need to play this game is a couple of stones. Have the players line up and pick one leader. The leader throws their stone first. As soon as it’s in the air, the other players have to throw their stones. The objective for the other players is to have their stone hit the water at the same time as the leader’s stone. It can land anywhere in the water for this to happen. Whoever’s stone is closest becomes the new leader. We recommend this beach game for adults, as you may not want kids throwing stones so near to other beachgoers.

X Marks the Spot

Is it possible to play darts without a target board and without any darts? Absolutely! All you have to do is outline a big circle in the sand. Then, draw smaller circles within it to represent the rings of a dartboard.

Finally, put an X in the center circle — that’s the bullseye. Using rocks and shells, players have to try to hit the X. You can get creative with scoring or follow this principle: the bullseye gets you 50 points, the second smallest circle gets 40, the next one gets 30, and so forth. Using what you find at the beach for this game means it's the perfect game to play at the beach without equipment.

Mermaid Fashion Show

This is a game for those who like showing off their swimsuit style — but don’t mind getting a little messy. For this beach game for adults and kids, construct a runway using seashells and rocks as markers. Using towels, seaweed, or anything else you can find — as long as it’s sanitary, that is — design an outfit perfect for a mermaid. Use spa wear, romper swim cover ups, and anything else you have with you to create your unique look.

Once everyone has prepared their ocean couture, have the “models” strut down the runway, throwing their best poses as they reach the end. Music is the perfect addition to this activity.

Splash Fight

Looking for a way to tucker out the kids for snack time with a simple beach game? This is the ideal solution. One of the best parts of goofing around in the water is just to splash — and that’s exactly what this game entails! Let the kids jump and splash around to their heart’s content, using this as a game to play at the beach without equipment. Just make sure to always keep an eye out and keep them close to shore.

The Long & Winding River

It’s basically a fact: kids love to dig. With this beach sand game, they can use that love of digging to construct a river by digging ditches into the sand. They can keep it simple by digging a straight line from the shore to the water.

See if they can get creative and make a crazy river full of twists, turns, bridges, and dams. When the river is finished, construct a little boat out of sticks. Set it loose in the river and see how it goes! Just remember: if you build the boat out of paper, it’s essential to make sure it doesn’t pollute the beach or the ocean.

Ocean Trivia

The ocean is home to some of the craziest species and most fascinating facts you will ever hear. A trip to the beach can be a great time to learn about all it has to offer. This is a perfect beach game for adults and kids because you can take this opportunity to teach anyone about wildlife and nature by playing a little trivia quiz game. It’s simple: just ask them trivia questions about the ocean.

For example, what is the biggest body of water on Earth? 

Answer: The Pacific Ocean. 

What is the largest animal to have ever lived? 

Answer: The blue whale. 

A word of warning: If you don’t have prior knowledge or a smartphone on you, this game might need some preparation. Ensure this is a game to play at the beach without equipment when you write down all the questions and answers beforehand.

Captain Simon Says

We all remember the game of Simon Says from our playground days. This is a little beach-themed twist on it. It involves one person, Captain Simon, who gives the other players instructions. For example, “Captain Simon says touch your toes.”

If the instructions are preceded with the words “Captain Simon Says,” the players have to follow. If not, they have to stand still. If someone follows the instructions at the wrong time, they’re out. The last person standing at the end of this beach game becomes the new Captain Simon.

To add a layer of fun, try to make the instructions beach-themed; for example, “Captain Simon Says, jump like a dolphin.” You can use this beach game for adults and kids with unique prizes for every age group.

Sand Angels

Remember when you were a kid and threw yourself into the snow to create snow angels? Well, the same can be done at the beach. Have the players lie down in the sand and move their arms and legs up and down to create an angel shape. You can also modify this beach sand game to create beach mermaids instead! Use just your arms to create wings and keep your legs together to make the shape of a tail.

When people get up from this beach game for adults and kids, they can decorate their angels with seashells and rocks. If you want to add a competitive edge, make it a contest to see who can create the most unique sand angel design.

Mermaid Mummy

This beach game for adults and kids is sure to cause a lot of giggles. Begin by having one person lie down in the sand. The others must start covering their body, taking care to leave the face uncovered, of course, until they are mummified in sand. They can take it a step further by creating a shape out of the body, like a mermaid or a giant starfish. Just remember not to dig too deep in the sand to avoid any safety issues.

Water Tag

When it’s time to get in the water, this is an ideal game to play at the beach without equipment that gets everyone moving. It’s just like regular tag, except with a lot of extra splashing. Make sure the kids stay in the shallow end and are supervised at all times when playing this game.

To add an extra element, turn it into octopus tag: one person is the octopus, and everyone they tag must link arms with them to form a bigger octopus. As more people are tagged, the octopus grows until only one victorious fish remains!

Giant Tic Tac Toe

We all loved playing tic tac toe in the corner of our notebooks as kids, but why not scale it up a bit? Draw a giant tic-tac-toe board in the sand. Make it a challenge to see just how big you can make this beach game. Then, proceed to play the most epic game of tic-tac-toe ever created.

Pirate Race

Most kids can’t get enough of racing. A great way to start off the fun of a beach day with a game to play at the beach without equipment is to have them race to see who can be the first one in the water. Spice it up by telling them this is a pirate race, and pirates have peg legs. That means they can only hop on one leg.

Chances are, they will want to race a few more times for good measure. Ready, set, go!

The Game Is Afoot

With everything the beach has to offer, there isn’t really a need for extra toys to have fun. When kids and adults are involved, the imagination provides endless opportunities in itself.

Just remember to wear your favorite one piece swimsuit, stock up on plenty of water and snacks, and slap on that sunscreen. With the waves ahead of you and stretches of sand beneath your feet, you will be good to go with any of these beach games for adults and kids.

Shop Maxine of Hollywood

Now that you have backup beach games for adults and kids, you can focus on all the other stuff you need at the beach. And if you’re missing a few swim essentials, Maxine of Hollywood is here to help with that too! Browse our collection of slimming swim dresses and two-pieces to find your favorites. We also offer an inclusive array of sizing to ensure access to plus size swimwear for women of all shapes. Shop our entire collection to find your new favorite bathing suit tops and swimsuit bottoms today!