Camp Betty: Beach Week

One of the best parts about spending the day at the beach is a cooler packed to the gills with sandwiches, snacks and ice-cold bevvies. And with two kids, Betty blogger Corey Valley knows all the tips and tricks, so we asked her to come up with four beach-friendly lunchboxes to keep your crew fueled all day. Sandwiches on a stick, anyone?

Tie-dyeing is a rite of passage for kids learning to craft, so why not give it a whirl with a beach blanket to spread out and show off all summer long? We’re partial to pre-washed cheap white cotton sheets, which soak up dyes beautifully. Check out our complete how-to from designer and Betty blogger Rae Danneman.

Swimming, building sandcastles or simply soaking up some rays—there’s no shortage of ways to have fun at the beach. But we especially love blogger Three Pixie Lane’s beach-perfect version of tic tac toe with foraged seashells (rocks and driftwood work too!). If you’re looking for even more shore-side inspiration, check out Retro Beach Bash—filled with dozens of ways to recreate a day at the beach 1950s-style.

Did your day at the beach get rained out? Bring the surf inside by making a batch of our super-cute Under the Sea Cookie Pops made easy with Betty Crocker cookie mix, icing and a little imagination! Then grab your goggles and suit up for an underwater adventure in a bathtub full of bubbles to search for sunken (toy) treasures. For smaller kids, we’re big on mixing up some DIY bathtub paint—Sweet Little Peanut’s how-to is a favorite—and using an old muffin tin to separate the colors!

Make a game out of picking up trash as you walk the beach collecting stones, shells and other goodies to take home. We love the idea of giving kids a fruit snack reward for a job well done—after hands have been washed, of course!