Skip the bucket and shovel for older kids.

Skip the bucket and shovel. Older kids need toys that actually move with them and don’t just sit in the sand.

A frisbee is the obvious winner. Hard to lose (bright colors help), requires running and catching, and works on any beach. Add a spikeball set if the beach is calm — it stays in a small circle, so you’re not hunting for balls every five minutes. A soccer ball or volleyball works great if you’re willing to chase it a few times (and other kids are around to play with).

Avoid anything small that buries itself: tiny shovels, plastic dinosaurs, those mesh sand-sifting things. They vanish into the beach within an hour.

Cheap inflatables also suck. They pop, they fly away, and they’re garbage by lunch. Stick to solid stuff that floats or flies — and buy a mesh bag to keep it all together.