Classic fun: towers of pebbles

I could never lie still on the beach, getting slowly roasted and tanned, that's not my idea of fun. My guys are an active lot, and enjoy doing things, be it playing football, running, splashing in the sea, exploring the rock pools, building sandcastles or doodling on the sand.
You don't need many toys on the beach: a simple bucket and spade are useful for digging and building.

You see some families building the elaborate fancy sandcastles with lots of turrets, digging the long channels going down to the sea, or burying each other under the sand.
We are lucky that the beach in Perranuthnoe we love so much is a combination of the sand, pebbles and rocks. Tired of digging? Swap for another building activity and build a tower from the pebbles.

Make a simple turret by putting the flat pebbles on top of each other, or do a moat, or a mini-Stonehenge with the bigger pebbles.

We also picked a lot of smooth, wave-caressed pebbles to take as souvenirs with us home. Maybe one day I'll have enough of them to do a proper rockery in the garden as the homage to our holidays in Cornwall.

After all the digging and castle-building, you have to have a treat. And what could be more perfect than an ice cream cone. The Cornish ice cream is a national treasure. You can buy the tubs of the Cornish ice cream and recreate the experience at home, but it is never the same as when you have it by the sea, with the marvellous views in front of you, the curious seagulls watching you and the eternal music of the waves rolling on the beach.