I realized today just how much I tend to overcomplicate activities with my children.

We’ve been visiting friends in Florida for the past few weeks and have made a couple trips down to the local beach. It’s a little over an hour away, so not something we can do every day. However, one incentive to make the drive, other than the crystal clear water and white sandy beaches, is Chick-fil-A, but more on that later.

Our first trip down we went with the family we’re staying with and another family. We had three cars chocked full of food, toys, body boards, towels, snorkels, and every other item you might need for a day out at the beach. And we had a great time! We ate lunch, most everyone went swimming even though the water was a bit too cold for some. The kids dug holes, buried each other. It was an overall fantastic day.

Then today, the kids and I drove down by ourselves. We initially just went down to stop at Chick-fil-A (we’ve been living in England for the last 8 years and this place is a favorite of the whole family) and then decided to drive the scenic route along the coast to find a nice spot next to the beach to sit and eat.

After our luncheon meal (and a quick stop at the local store to use the bathrooms of course), the kids asked to go play on the beach. Now, we had no swimsuits, no toys, nothing beach related except a single towel that got left behind in the back of the car from our trip to the springs the week prior. The kids all agreed they didn’t mind, so we parked the car and walked down to an empty spot on the beach and took off our shoes.

​And this is where I realized just how much I overcomplicate activities. It took at least an hour, probably closer to two, to pack up everything the first trip we took down with the other families. Then of course there was the hour after we got back to unpack and get everything put away, swimsuits and towels thrown in the washer, uneaten food put into the fridge, kids coerced into the shower. This second trip we took down, there was no packing, no unpacking, no worrying if anything had been forgotten at home or the beach.

And do you know what? The kids had just as much fun if not more the second trip than they did the first. Society and their marketing campaigns make us, as parents, think our children need all these things to be able to enjoy life and activities, but really they just need us to be present with them and give them opportunities to play. Children can be so creative when we give them the chance and freedom to do so. 

Our trip today, my four children all played together and I don’t think there was one single argument. There were no boats or shovels to argue over. There were no boards to have to share. There was no food needing rationing to ensure everyone got enough of the same item. It was bliss. I got to just sit on the beach and watch them, play with them, and enjoy them.​

They worked together to create tiny pools for the littlest one to play in. They dug with their hands and feet to create irrigation channels to feed little’s pool. They held hands and jumped over waves. They got their clothes soaking wet and had to ride home in their underwear. It was a fabulous time had by all and I didn’t have to spend hours packing or unpacking, though I did still have to do some coercing into the shower when we got back.​​