So, your tot isn’t ready for a surfin’ safari, but that doesn’t mean your family day at the beach should give you the summertime blues. Here are some tips for making the most out of your day at the beach.

Pitch a tent: Bringing along a kid-size tent not only offers consistent sun-protection, shelter from kicked-up sand, and a clean surface under foot, but a tent also provides your waterbaby with her very own spot to nap or play. They’ll enjoy the fort-like quality a tent always inspires.

Point and shoot: Give your child a disposable, waterproof camera. You’ll get to keep some great memories from their perspective and they’ll have an afternoon-long activity to keep them engaged.

Write away: Sandbox play is key to developing fine motor skills that prepare young children for writing. Take advantage of the surf and encourage your child to trace letters – or just doodles – into wet sand with their finger, foot, or a piece of driftwood.

By Erika Thormahlen, teacher & creative consultant, Citibabes