20 Fun Sand Toys and Beach Toys for Kids

What is better than a day at the beach? If you ask me, it’s pretty much anything that involves eating something tasty and watching Netflix in the quiet. Ask my kids, though, and they will tell you absolutely nothing is better than an afternoon spent by the water. They want to build with their sand toys, run around, and feel that crazy sensation of sand squishing between their toes.

For me, I love to see my kids happy. I might hate the grimy feeling of sand in weird places or the hassle of packing up the car, but it’s worth it to snuggle on a beach towel with my toddler who smells like sunscreen and happiness. Beach trips are always worth it by the end of the day.

What to Do with Kids at the Beach

So you arrive at the beach, slather up in sunscreen, put your kids’ floaties on them (or life vests if you are boating), and claim your spot with a towel or umbrella. Now what? If you’re like me, you need to go prepared with a few activity ideas to keep the kids entertained and happy. The last thing you want is to be chasing kids around the beach all day. Here are some great sand and beach toys to keep the entire family happy during your beach visit.

Best Sand Castle Toys and Bucket Sets

Toys Icon Sand Bucket Set

Keep babies and toddlers entertained for hours with this beach toy set. This set includes 16 fun sand and beach toys ready for your toddler and their little friends to enjoy together. With a variety of shovels and sand molds, you’ll be able to encourage creative play.

Pros:

Variety of pieces
Fun colors

Cons:

No carrying case included
Need to be cleaned thoroughly

Hape Beach Basics Sand Toy Set

This set of beach toys is ideal for small hands. It’s a basic set including a rake, shovel, sifter, and bucket. The bold colors engage your little one’s interest and the child-safe materials are sure to hold up for more than one summer. These simple tools offer hours of entertainment for your favorite toddler.

These sand toys do not include their own bag so it’s best to procure one yourself. Mesh bags are great for sand toys as they don’t hold in as much sand when you’re ready to leave it all on the beach. Additionally, since this is a smaller set, you can help your toddler review her lessons on sharing if you spend a day at the shore with friends.

Pros:

Basic beach essentials
Perfect size for toddler hands

Cons:

No carrying bag
Small sets are better for two children or fewer

Click N’ Play 18Piece Beach Sand Toy Set

This beach toy set is made of BPA-free materials and is perfect for a set of toddler friends to share. The eighteen piece sand box or beach set includes:

A sand bucket
A sand wheel
Two shovels
Three rakes
Two sand sifters
Watering can
Many sand molds

With so many accessories and differently shaped sand molds, this set encourages creative play. Help your little ones to shape animals out of the sand molds and play a game with them. Sandcastles will never get old and the several castle-shaped molds will keep your kids entertained for hours.

Since this beach toy set includes a storage bag with a mesh bottom, storing these toys is a breeze. You can confidently store your child’s toys in this bag knowing the sand will sift out of the bottom rather than sticking to the bottom of the molds.

Sand Toys for Toddlers and Pre-schoolers

Top Race Beach Set, Ice Cream and Cake Series

Your toddler will have so much fun playing ice cream shop with this sand toy set. Although there is no mesh bag included, the pieces of the set can all fit within the provided pail. The variety of cone, scoop, and cupcake molds ensure that your little one can get creative.

This set comes with 14 pieces, including:

Beach pail
Ice cream molds
Cupcake molds
Scooping tools

Pros:

Beach pail comes with a lid that functions as a cone holder
Includes cupcake holders

Fun, colorful design

Con:

No mesh carrying bag

Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Seaside Sidekicks Nesting Sand Pails

The four sand buckets included in this set are numbered one through four. Helping your preschooler identify the numbers both numerically and written out is great for their beginning mathematical skills. The engaging colors and fun shapes molded into the buckets will excite your child as they unveil their sand structure. The best part is these buckets nest within one another so that storage is easy.

The downside to such a simple and compact set is the lack of shovel or carrying case. If you already have those things, this set of beach buckets is perfect for you.

Pros:

Compact
Fun colors
Number learning

Cons:

No carrying case
No shovel included

HiDreamy Beach Sand Toys

This silicone, BPA-free set includes:

A truck
A watering can
A bucket
A shovel
A rake
A large sand wheel
Eight shaped molds

The flexible silicone of these molds makes it possible for your preschool to shape the sand with minimal help. As always, close supervision in a beach setting is necessary for safety. With preschoolers, though, we want to encourage independent thinking and creative play as much as possible.

This set includes a carrying case and includes the perfect amount of toys for sharing. The bucket and sand or water wheel have some great potential for conducting junior science experiments with your little learner.

Pros:

Carrying case included
Soft silicone molds
Durable materials will last

Cons:

Colors of the toys themselves may vary from the sample images
Some molds and toys are on the small side

Spielstabil Large Sand Scoop

If you’re looking for a versatile, durable tool, this is it! Your kiddos will enjoy digging a moat around the castles they build with these beach shovels. These shovels are durable, well-designed, and ready to go.

Pros:

Colorful
Extra high blade
Soft grip for smaller hands

Cons:

One scoop included per order
Actual color of the scoop will vary

InJoy Joyin Toy 20 Pieces Beach Sand Toy Set

This set comes with a wide variety of toys, including:

Ten fun shape molds
One castle bucket
A brick shaper
A trowel
A rake
A shovel
Three beach balls
More sand castle shaped molds

If you’re hoping to build a wall,castle, or fort out of sand, the brick shaper tools will be what you need. Alternatively, you can use the castle shape molds and the large castle bucket to make your own sand kingdom. Populate your sand kingdom with the fun sea animal shaped molds and then follow it up with a few hours of beach ball games.

With such a high number of pieces to this set, the mesh backpack will be useful to store everything once you’re ready to pack up.

Pros:

Large variety of sand toy pieces
Carrying case included

Cons:

Lots of pieces might easily be lost
Toys are made of a more brittle plastic

Click N’ Play 18 Piece Beach Sand Toy Set

This 18 piece set includes:

A bucket
Two shovels
Two rakes
Several fun shaped molds
A bucket
A sifter
And more!

This sand toy set is perfect for a day at the beach with a group of kids who are in different stages. The long handled shovel and rake are perfect for bigger kids while the smaller tools are ideal for little hands. Nothing is better than teaching your children how to cooperate and this set encourages teamwork with a variety of molds and tools. With the included mesh bag, storing this set is easy.

Pros:

Variety of tool sizes
Fun shaped molds

Cons:

Only one bucket
If left out in the sun, the colors of these toys may fade

Sand Toys and Beach Toys for Infants

SwimSchool Beach Baby Splash Mat with Canopy

This cute splash mat makes it possible for you to keep baby covered, supervised, and entertained on beach day. Use the included canopy to shield your baby from the sun and let them splash on the bad without stressing over safety.

Pros:

Canopy included
Fun colors
Soft surface for baby

Cons:

Meant for 1 baby to use

Playgro Grip ‘n’ Stack Soft Blocks

These blocks are ideal for babies and toddlers because they are well-cushioned and soft. Decorated with cute characters, these blocks will engage your baby for a perfect beach activity. Learn important developmental skills by building towers and counting the blocks.

Pros:

Encourages gross motor development
Encourages creative play
Easy to clean

Cons:

No carrying case included

One activity that works for any age is to build a sand castle! Sand toys are some of the best beach accessories you can take with you for beach day. They’re versatile, inexpensive, and help your kids play creatively.

Beach Water Toys for Kids

Nerf Super Soaker Scatterblast Blaster

My kids love spraying each other with water at the beach, and the Nerf Super Soaker Scatterblast Blaster is the perfect water gun to get each other wet! This Super Soaker shoots five streams of water at once. The flip-up sight helps you aim to hit your target from up to 34 feet away! You can either buy a single gun or buy a two pack for extra fun.

Pros:

Easy to use pump handle
Made of safe materials
Good quality from Nerf

Cons:

Hard for young kids to fill water container
Medium size water container

Bo-Toys Body Board

Let your big kids get adventurous with some terrific body boards. These body boards are a great way to introduce older children to the water. Spend an afternoon jumping through the waves. With the included leash, you won’t have to worry about the board getting lost at sea.

Pros:

Durable materials
Lightweight
Different size options

Cons:

Only 1 bodyboard comes in this set
No carrying case or bag

Kites for the Beach

Suyisy 2 Pack Kites

This kite 2 pack is the perfect family activity everyone can enjoy. Enhance your child’s hand-eye coordination with kite flying lessons! Friendly shapes make these kites a great choice for your day at the beach!

Pros:

Colorful shapes
Durable materials
Easy-grip handles

Cons:

No carrying case
Younger children will need assistance from an adult

Best Beach Games for Kids

EastPoint Sports Go! Gater All Weather Beanbag Toss Cornhole Game

Beanbag toss is a great way to have a friendly competition while still relaxing together on the beach. This set includes 2 boards and 8 bean bags. Easy to assemble and portable, this set is great for big kids to learn important hand-eye coordination.

Pros:

Easy assembly
Bean bags fit within cornhole boards

Cons:

No carrying case – although you can fit the pieces in each board
Only 2 colors provided – if you have a large gathering, you may need additional bean bags.

Champion Sports Rubber Horseshoe Set

This horseshoe set is optimal for either indoor or outdoor. Take it with you to the beach for a low impact, friendly competition. Big kids will enjoy learning how to toss horseshoes and older generations will enjoy the nostalgia of a familiar classic. This set includes 2 plastic dowels, 2 rubber mats and posts, and 4 horseshoes.

Pros:

Easy setup
Good to use on a variety of surfaces
Easy to clean

Cons:

No carrying case included
Limited number of participants

Beach Toys for Teens, Tweens, and Older Kids

Baden Champions Volleyball Badminton Combo Set

Beach volleyball is a major crowd pleaser for all ages. Your teens will love getting together with friends for some friendly competition. This set includes both a net and volleyball plus a convenient carrying case. Not in the mood for volleyball? Try the included badminton rackets and birdies instead.

Pros:

Active game for the whole family
Variety of pieces
More than one game available

Cons:

Considerable set up required
Limited number of participants (if playing badminton)

Ladder Golf Set

Ever try ladder golf? This activity is great when you want to try something new. The game is played by tossing your set of bolos onto the PVC pipe posts. This set comes with PVC posts, bolos, and carrying case. It’s a terrific for 2 – 4 players and is sure to be a hit.

Pros:

Fun, new activity to try
Easy to set up
Convenient carrying case

Cons:

Limited number of participants
Small children could get struck by the bolos. Give ladder golf participants plenty of space!

Bocce Ball Set with Carrying Case

Bocce is my absolute favorite lawn game. It’s a great, relaxed activity for your family. This set includes 4 red balls, 4 green balls, the white pallino, and a carrying case. Bocce is the ideal activity if you’re looking for something low impact and fun.

Pros: