By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea…

You and me, you and me, oh how happy we’ll be!

I love the ocean. I believe that the beach is one of the places Mother Nature is at her finest.
I spent my growing up years at, near or in the ocean and would like to share a few tips
to help make your day even more pleasant. For all you lucky ones who will spend your day frolicking in the surf, enjoy!

Taking children to swim at the beach? Get a tide chart and plan your trip for low tide, the waves are smaller and usually more gentle. For tide schedule predictions try

You can go on their website, select your beach and get a schedule for the days you’ll be at the ocean.

Flotation devices make the day safer and much more fun!

Look for a beach with lifeguards- they are trained to spot unsafe water conditions; such as rip tides and sharks. They keep an eye on everything happening on their beach, and are worth their weight in gold.

Watch for warning flags near the water; some warn of unsafe conditions, others delineate surf and swim areas.

Say a little prayer for me; don’t forget a little prayer of thanks and help for a safe and fun day.

Near the water, the tiny v-shaped marks in the sand mean sand crabs. If you dig a hole and let the waves swirl in, sometimes you can see sand crabs swimming around. Pick one up, they tickle!

Buckets, shovels, sieves and molds make building a blast!

Bring bags for shell collecting. The earlier in the morning you go, the better the selection. You probably don’t want to take home crabs and seaweed, they don’t live very long and get stinky. Some places, such as tide pools, have restrictions on taking things from nature. Just watch for signs and follow the rules. If you can’t find shells you like, there are often gift stores nearby that sell them as well as post cards to help you remember your summer fun.

Jellyfish – leave them alone. Most are not lethal, but if you do get stung, white vinegar applied to the site for 15 – 30 minutes quickly will neutralize the toxins and ease the pain. Remove tentacles and stingers, you can use a credit card to scrape them off. If the victim experiences difficulty breathing get medical help immediately.

A final word of advice, don’t shave before going in salt water – ouch!

Have a wonderful day the beach – God’s playground for children.

photo courtesy of
http://hd-wallpapers-widescreen.thundafunda.com/desktop-images/beach-backgrounds/coasta-holiday-sand-beach/