My family and I recently spent five days at a beach in North Carolina. Four adults and three children (Auntie and Uncle were there) spending time in the pool, the sand, and the ocean. It was glorious. Now that we’re back I wanted to show off the vacation-themed sketches that were done while there. There’s nothing quite like sketching notes while listening to the waves crashing against the shore.
For the past 35 odd days I have been sketching notes based on the Summer Break List Of Things To Do theme. These sketches have been ways to come up with new ideas for the kids to explore while on summer break. Admittedly, I haven’t heard any complaining about being bored. That has to do with the fact that our three kids range in age from 9 months to 4 years old, so everything is exciting. It probably has more to do with the fact that my wife is a super mom and keeps them busy everyday. Nonetheless, I wanted to create notes based on our vacation and the things we might be doing that day.
Build A Sandcastle
The first day’s sketch was an easy one. Building a sandcastle seemed like the hot topic in the days leading up to the beach. Last year my daughters were more interested in the sand than the waves, so I figured it might be the case this year. Much to my surprise and delight, they wanted to spend more time in the water. Sandcastles were built, just not as big and elaborate as I thought they’d be.
Look for Seashells
Looking for seashells was always one of my favorite things to do when I went to the beach as a kid. Every year I always seemed to get lucky and find at least one really cool item — whether it was a seashell, sand dollar, starfish, etc. This year we were determined to find something cool. And we did!
Catch a Wave
After discovering that the girls were more interested in the water I wanted to shift focus from the sand to the surf. While we didn’t go surfing, we spent plenty of time jumping waves. Eventually, our 3-year old — the same girl who hated the water last year — was running and diving into the waves.
Go Snorkeling
We bought a mask and snorkel for my oldest daughter because we thought it would be fun to let her see under the water as she swam. She really enjoyed the pool and used the mask quite a bit there. Maybe next year we’ll go to a beach that has clear water where she can actually see fish and coral.
Relax
The final note came on the day we were leaving. After our quick getaway, I thought it was important to recognize that we all need to relax. Especially as the vacation winds down. All the time was spent running around on the beach or in the pool, as well as taking care of three small children. So this note might be more geared to the adults, but certainly should be appropriate for the kids as well.
Where have you gone on vacation this year and how did you like? If you took your children, what were some of their favorite activities? Please share your stories in the comments. And don't forget to tag any of your beach sketches on social media using the #LunchNoteSketch hashtag.