Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
Play with nature’s 'Etch A Sketch’
We focus on sand art for families this summer – it’s free fun and washes itself away
Primary Times offers inspiration from an expert who helped create the poignant commemorative beach tribute ‘Pages of the Sea.’
Sand art has become a compelling activity, capturing the imaginations of families via projects such as ‘Pages of the Sea.’ Portraits of fallen World War I soldiers and war poets were drawn on the sand across dozens of beaches then peacefully reclaimed by the waves of the rising tide.
The work, led by Danny Boyle, marked the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day and made a lasting impression on the audience who stood by silently on the sand or watched stunning video footage online. Artist Jamie Wardley, Head Sculpture at Sand in Your Eyes, designed the portraits and expertly teased damp sand into place with precision to create the tribute.
Such large-scale beach art is breathtaking to behold especially when viewed from above by drone or helicopter, but given a little preparation it can also be adapted into a fun project for a day at the beach with a stick or spade. The UK is blessed with incredibly beautiful beaches and turning tides. It’s a self-clearing canvas where you can doodle some time away or create your very own masterpiece by following a few tips from an expert.
Sand drawing: top tips
- Sketch your drawing in advance. Perhaps a cartoon or a graphical pattern which can be incredibly beautiful – or just have fun going free form. Remember to interact with your landscape. If there are rocks in the sand you can weave your way around them.
- 5 to 10 metres of damp sand makes a perfect canvas, so study the tide tables and arrive for low tide or enjoy some beach time while you wait for the sea to go out. Some beaches have large stretches of sand, or tidal ranges, perfect for drawing, such Blackpool. Bournemouth, meanwhile, for example, has a smaller tidal range.
- Find a clean area of beach, free of debris. If necessary, you might decide to safely ‘unlitter’ the beach by bagging up discarded plastics as you go.
- Repeat a pattern for impact – for example, why not hand-draw a jellyfish and repeat it 20 times? Or draw a pod of dolphin swimming in the same direction.
- Beware of rising tides and sandbars that risk cutting you off from beach exit points. Don’t lose track of time and do keep a close eye on the sea, as you usually would at the beach. If, as parents, you can find a safe elevated point from which to peer down on to the beach, go ahead and lap up the view – a pier or a promenade could be perfect.
- Cornwall, Pembrokeshire, Filey beach in Yorkshire, Tiree beach in the Outer Hebrides and Elie beach in Scotland are tried and tested sand art canvases.