Beach and lake days within an hour's drive
Picking water-based family days that stay fun and safe, from tide times to the one bag that makes the drive home bearable.
Beaches, lakes & water
Water is the most reliable entertainment there is. It also carries the highest risk of a miserable journey home, so a little planning goes a long way.
Choosing the spot
- Shallow, sheltered water beats dramatic scenery for under-eights
- Check tide times before you commit to a beach
- A lake with a flat circular path gives you a plan B when swimming is out
- Somewhere to buy chips is worth an extra ten minutes of driving
The dry bag rule
One bag stays in the boot with towels, dry clothes and a bin bag for the wet things. It is the difference between a happy drive home and forty-five minutes of shivering complaints.
Safety without spoiling it
Agree a boundary before anyone gets in, count heads on a timer, and pick one adult who is watching the water and doing nothing else.