The Grandparents’ Guide to Beach Bliss: Building Memories One Sandcastle at a Time

She taught him to build castles, not just with sand—but with stories, and patience, and sun-kissed afternoons.

It was mid-June, and the Suggs family had descended on North Myrtle Beach like a joyful breeze through Spanish moss. Margaret Suggs, seventy-two and a retired schoolteacher, had her folding chair staked in the sand by 8:00 a.m. sharp. Beside her, six-year-old Jonah was already knee-deep in a moat, cheeks flushed with purpose. For them, this wasn’t just vacation. It was tradition.

Every summer, Margaret and her husband Hank packed up their trusty sedan, loaded it with boogie boards, board games, and homemade oatmeal cookies, and met their children and grandchildren at the coast. It wasn’t about the luxury. It was about the rhythm—morning sunrises, salty breezes, and passing on the joy of the beach.

Vacationing with grandkids is a special kind of magic, equal parts storytelling and sunscreen. But it does take some planning. Margaret, having learned through trial and sandy error, had a few golden rules:

First: Pack with intention. Not just extra towels and aloe, but patience and humor. There will be spilled juice boxes and forgotten goggles. Let it go. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s presence.

Second: Bring the old stories. Kids crave connection more than Wi-Fi. At night, under porch lights and the hum of cicadas, Margaret told tales of her first beach trip in 1958, when swimsuits had skirts and ice cream came in paper cups. Jonah listened wide-eyed, as if she were handing him a map to a secret treasure.

Third: Create rituals. Mornings were for seashell hunting. Afternoons meant one-on-one walks where each child got their turn to be heard. Evenings ended with a scoop of peach ice cream and toes in the tide.

These small rituals, seemingly ordinary, laid the foundation for something enduring: a sense of belonging, of being loved, of knowing that no matter where life blows them, the ocean—and Grandma’s laugh—would always be waiting.

So whether you’re a spry grandpa with a frisbee or a sweet Nana with a sunhat the size of a beach umbrella, know this: you’re not just keeping an eye on the kids. You’re anchoring them.

Book your next family stay with Thomas Beach Vacations.

We’ve got beachfront homes perfect for generations to gather. Comfortable, convenient, and full of the kind of quiet joy only a beach can provide. Let us help you make the memories—they’ll last far longer than footprints in the sand.