Beach Party

A beach party in the middle of winter? Yes, you heard me right. My son’s preschool had a beach party today. Even though it is only about 35 degrees here in West Virginia, the students all changed into their bathing suits and the classroom was transformed into a sand-filled adventure. Twenty 3 and 4 year olds and a few younger siblings piled into the room, eyes wide with fascination, ready to get jump in. They grabbed their shovels and buckets and began making everything from mere mountains and piles to perfect pies and castles. Some didn’t want to get sand on their hands or feet but they soon forgot about the gritty mess as they filled up their dump trucks and drove from one side of the beach to the other. It was a little bit of summertime magic; the only things missing were the sound of the waves crashing on shore, the smell of salt water in the air and the sun beating down on their backs.
And just as if it were a real day at the beach, they were tired and hungry after an hour in the sand. The smell of hot dogs on the grill settled them all down as they waited for lunch. Beach towels and blankets littered the floor of the adjoining classroom and everyone spread out for a wonderful picnic. The day would not have been complete without snow cones and cotton candy, which my children turned down in favor of playing with pirates and castles. But at the end of the day, everyone had a great time. Just like a day at the beach without the sunburn. What a great idea to chase away those wintertime blues!