Doing the Beach on the Cheap (continued)

Drinkable Sea Water?

The beach is a place to relax and enjoy your family, but it can also be a place to learn. Here's a fun science experiment: fill a bucket half-full with seawater. Place a smaller bucket or cup inside so that it is taller than the water level but not taller than the bucket. Cover the bucket with Saran Wrap, placing something heavy on top of the inner cup. Within a few hours, the water will begin to evaporate in the hot sun, creating condensation on the plastic wrap, which will drip into the cup. You’ve just extracted fresh water from salt water!

Ocean Writing

Consider keeping a beach journal during your trip. Buy a blank notebook before you go and decorate it with stickers or drawings of the beach. Use it to record memories and observations during your whole trip. What to do inside the pages? How about:

• Lists – colors of seashells, things you see in front of you, favorite moments of every day, animals on the shore
• Poems – waves, sand, people, and more. There’s a lot to choose from when looking for a muse.
• Stories – people-watch on the beach and take turns making up interesting stories about the people you see. Or imagine your own family on an adventure in your new setting and write it down.
• Memories – record what you do, what you like, where you go, and what you see. Don’t forget illustrations!

This is one book that it’s okay to get sand inside!