Camp B, Day Four: Beach Day

For as long as I can remember, my incredible group of mama friends and our village of little ones have gathered at a special, semi-private beach on Thursday mornings. We all feel the pull of this place like the tides feel the moon, and this morning was no exception. We happily packed our picnic, lathered with sunscreen, and set off for Camp B, Day Four: Beach Day.

On the way to our oasis, I asked Big B if he knew what made waves. He answered, thoughtfully, 'Octopusses?' So we talked about the tide, the moon, gravity, and the currents. We also talked about salt and sand and glass and buried treasure, and decided to bring along the metal detector Big B received for his birthday. As more friends arrived, a new learning experience evolved: Mission Snail Rescue. These rocks are covered with tiny black snails, and the big kids decided to 'rescue' them into smaller, more colorful habitats. After much swimming and picnicking, we took our troops for a treasure walk.Along the way we saw many sea creatures, large and small.An amazing piece of driftwood was instantly transformed into much more by the imaginations and bravery of our children.At the end of our treasure walk, we had a bucket of our beach to take home for our afternoon project: beach-in-a-bottle, made with water, food coloring, baby oil and our treasures. We tried to replicate the colors and textures of our favorite getaway.
A beach day and an afternoon playdate left my boys wiped out, so we watched the ocean-themed Finding Nemo to help everyone relax into the evening. Just before bed, we explored a great website full of ocean games. We are taking advantage of our proximity to the coast, the ocean, and its healing powers. Whenever we need a healthy physical outlet, a dose of fresh air, or simply to be washed with the beauty of our world, we have only minutes to drive to attain it...and an incredible community of families with which to enjoy it. For these things I am grateful.