We are about 5 1/2 weeks away from our next family vacation to the beach! After spending the past few years in Virginia Beach, we opted to visit a different beach this year. We are really excited to explore a new vacation spot with our family, but we are going to miss spending time at one of our favorite places!
I know this is ridiculous, but I never managed to finish up my vacation recap from last year! I just take so many pictures, and it turns out to be a daunting task. The busyness of life took over, and sharing our trip got pushed to the side. I do want to finish it before our next vacation, so I decided to break the last half of our trip into several separate posts.
As I was glancing through the pictures from Day 5 of our trip, I realized that we spent the day taking advantage of all the fun free activities Virginia Beach has to offer! They also happen to be our favorite things to do while we're there. So rather than just recapping our day, I wanted to share 8 fun free things to do with kids in Virginia Beach, just in case you happen to visit there one day! (And I highly recommend you do!)
8 Fun FREE Things To Do With Kids In Virginia Beach
Play in the sand
Virginia Beach has a beautiful, expansive sandy beach that is right off the boardwalk! I love that we don't have to trek through grass to get there. You literally step off the boardwalk and into the sand! Thanks to the size, it never seems to be overly crowded. (Although I'm sure it helps that we don't go until late August!) We always head down to the beach at lunchtime, because that's when most people are heading in to eat or take a break. Although my two littles are the ones who play with the sand toys the most, Dylan and Lexie join in the fun, too!
Swim in the waves
Dylan and Lexie love to boogie board, but Lily and Liam prefer to splash in the surf. Thankfully, Grant likes to go out far, so he supervises the older kids, while I keep an eye on the little ones. I don't like to go out past my waist, so it works well for us! No matter what you prefer, there's no denying that splashing in the waves is just more fun!
Take advantage of the pool
Sometimes you just need to take a break from the sun and the waves! Pretty much every beachfront hotel has a pool, both indoor and out. When our kids need a break from the beach, or if it's raining, we usually head ot the indoor pool! (Although an early morning swim in the outdoor pool with my older kids is one of my favorite beach memories!) We also love to go for a night swim whenever we can!
Go see the Circus in the Park
The Circus in the Park is one of our favorite free attractions! The show usually runs several nights a week, and there are usually 2 or 3 different show times. Lily absolutely LOVED Circus in the Park the first year we went to Virginia Beach, and made sure we watched it multiple times on each trip. She always wished she would get picked out the crowd, but never was!
Go for a Night Beach Walk
Growing up, I loved night walks on the beach. Grant had never gone on one until I introduced him, and our kids, to the concept. Now they're hooked! We head down to the beach at full dark, equipped with flashlights, and bags for treasures, and enjoy a relaxing stroll along the water's edge. And, sometimes, we get to see some pretty amazing things! (I recommend having somebody wear a backpack to hold all the extras!)
Collect shells
Most people head out to collect shells early in the morning, but we prefer to sleep in a bit longer than that on vacation! We usually search for shells at the end of our beach walk. Last year, we hit the jackpot! A huge amount of shells had washed up on the beach after dark, and the kids had so much fun finding new favorites to take home! Some were even complete crab shells!
Watch Fireworks on the Beach
Watching fireworks is fun, but they are even better at the beach! Virginia Beach has a free fireworks show twice a week in the Summer. We have watched them from our balcony, but we prefer to sit on the beach for the show!
Go for a stroll on the boardwalk
The Virginia Beach Boardwalk is THE best! It is 3 miles long, and has a separate bike path alongside it. There are lots of great things to see along the way, including the 24 foot statue of King Neptune. (It's a must see!) At one end of the boardwalk is an amazing, huge playground on the beach that my kids love. At the other end of the boardwalk is a gymnastics-style playground on the beach, complete with extra large rings, bars, and beams.
My family loves walking together, so going for strolls on the boardwalk several times a day is one of our favorite things to do in Virginia Beach. Late night strolls, as everything is winding down, are so much fun, and the kids are usually ready for bed as soon as we get back! It's a parenting win, because it means mom and dad can hang out on the balcony, listening to the ocean waves, in peace!
Looking back at all the fun we had on that day, makes me wish we could go on TWO beach vacations this Summer! I have no doubt we're going to have fun where we're going, and be able to enjoy many of the same favorite beach activities, but Virginia Beach is our happy place!
Have you ever gone to Virginia Beach?
Catch up on our trip:
WELCOME WEDNESDAY
Your Hosts!
Stefanie at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam & Dylan Too / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest / Facebook
Keri at Keri Lynn Synder / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest
Mauri at The American Patriette / Facebook / Pinterest / Instagram
Sarah at Sarah E. Frazer / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest
<!-- end InLinkz script —>
I've been to Virginia several times, but never Virginia Beach! I'll have to make a trip because it sounds so fun! I live only about an hour and a half from the Jersey shore, and my in laws have a beach house, so I tend to go there during the summer. But it would be fun to venture further!
ReplyDeleteMy husband vacationed at the Jersey shore when he was a child. He loved it there!
DeleteI have never been there but you make it sound very appealing! I love that crab you found!
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely plan a trip! Your kids would love it there!
DeleteOoh I love the circus show - and the fireworks! I haven't been to the beach in awhile, but I used to go to Florida a lot growing up and we always loved walking on the beach at night!
ReplyDelete-lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
That's one of my favorite parts about vacation! The beach is my happy place!
DeleteLooks like a great place to vacation!! We went down to Florida this year but Virginia is even closer!
ReplyDeleteWith 4 kids, it's super expensive to fly, so we have to stick to closer beaches. Although, we do like road trips, so we might have to plan a trip to Florida!
DeleteThat looks like such a great vacation! I agree wiht all your tips - the best things at the beach are surprisingly free!! We collect shells with little holes and then string them for necklaces for the kids! My family also loves jumping waves - we could body and boogie board all day!!! Thanks for sharing! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteOooo, we have a ton of shells with tiny holes. Thanks for the idea. I spy a project with my girls!!!
DeleteThat circus in the park looks like so much fun! Our kids would love that! So many fun things to do there! I wish we were closer so we could visit!
ReplyDeleteWe're coming down closer to you this year. We thought Liam was finally ready for a longer trip!
DeleteThis looks incredible! We've never done a beach trip with our little ones but we're really excited to do this some day. My hubby is from NJ and loves beaches on the East coast! Thanks for these awesome tips!
ReplyDeleteYou should plan a trip! It's our happy place!
Delete