Can't go to the beach? Grown ups won't let you dump 2 tonnes of sand in the living room?

We understand.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to have a day at the beach without all the seagulls and stubbing your toes on rocks. In fact, it might even be better than a day at the beach!

Surf Around the House in a Sleeping Bag

No huge waves to ride? That won't stop a pro surfer like you. A sleeping bag makes a great alternative to a surf board - just ask an adult before you slide down the stairs! Even better, take a thick plastic bag to the park and toboggan down a hill! Best thing about this is you're pretty much guaranteed to not get eaten by sharks!

Build a Sand-Free Sandcastle

You can build castles out of anything - cardboard boxes, old furniture, priceless family heirlooms - whatever you have lying around. If you have a garden you could even build it out of mud, which is basically just land sand anyway! You could even stick a roof on it and start living in there. Let's see a sandcastle do THAT.

Have a Really Salty Bath

Simulate a bracing dip in the sea by having a REALLY salty, cold bath. For extra points, get unknown things to brush against your legs and make you jump! Swimming is fun!

Eat Ice Cream

Sometimes the most obvious ideas are the best ones. For a REAL beach experience, try putting sand in it!

Make a gross sea creature!

Get your handicraft stuff out and make some sea creatures! Sure, cardboard fish or seagulls are a good idea - but you could go a step further and try a jellyfish or some terrifying creature of the deep. Make some brightly coloured slime and pour it into a clear plastic bag, then tie it off tightly into a body shape. Then attach some tendrils to hang from it, like this WEIRD Portuguese Man Of War*! Oh, and if you're looking for slime recipes - try this, or this! *This is a real animal by the way!

Have a BBQ!

After a long day building castles and eating ice cream you must have worked up an appetite. If you were down the beach this is when someone's sunburned Uncle would get the BBQ out - but NEWSFLASH! Having a BBQ in the garden or the park is even better than doing it by the beach! No seagulls to steal your sausages, and 100% less sand in the potato salad! Winning!