Beside the (garden) seaside

This week has all been about the seaside.

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We already made bunting for our beach hut (it’s a plastic play house but we can dream).

Thanks to bit of on-the-spot thinking however, our dreams have become a reality.

The sun has shone all week which helps but I brought the beach to us.

Last winter we went for a weekend away to Blackpool. It was far too cold for the beach but, in one of the souvenir shops, I picked up some sea shells and that is where the inspiration for this came from.

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I kept them hidden in a drawer until this week.

I have been avidly searching for a plastic sand pit which could also hold water. They are readily available but I wanted a bargain so I shopped around.

I managed to pick this up in a discount warehouse for £12.99. Please, if you find one cheaper, don’t tell me. I want to stay in my ‘I got it for a bargain bubble’ for as long as possible.

So while Boo was at nursery, I filled one half with sand and, when she came back she was so pleased.

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We had a bucket and spade and I laid all the shells in there so she could play with them.

After lunch, I carted buckets of water from the kitchen to make the sea bit of our set-up.

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The lovely people at Baker Ross had supplied ducks in the lovely box we were sent and I know strictly speaking ducks are more suited to a pond than the sea, but this was our dream and ducks were in it. Deal with it.

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Cue much quacking from Boo who has a big soft spot for ducks and an afternoon of splish-splashing began.

It was very hot so naturally, Mummy had to get in on the action. It was bliss putting my feet in the pool.

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Rosie the dog wasn’t so keen. I did try to paddle her little feet in but her reaction made me think she didn’t really enjoy it.

I added wind-up bath toys and little net so we could catch the ducks and shells.

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It really was such a fun activity. It was also a good sensory exercise with the feel of the sand, the shells and the water.

Boo even got to hear the sea in one of the bigger shells.

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The day after was still warm and the attraction of our seaside at home had not waned one ounce. Her first step outside led her straight to the pool again to catch ducks.

When the rain came, it was really easy to out everything away. I just emptied the water onto our parched flower bed, dried it with a towel and popped it on top of the sand pit as a lid.

Long may our seaside at home continue.

*We were sent the ducks by Baker Ross but I bought everything else in this piece and all opinions are my own

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