Winter beach ideas please!

[Candikane]

We're starting our fulltiming adventure late Jan/early Feb and are planning to head down to the Pensacola and Gulf Shores areas for about 6 weeks. I'm assuming it'll be too cold to swim, so other than sandcastles, shell searching, and flying kites, what other fun things can I do on the beach with my 9 year old daughter? We will be going places too (zoo, science museum, etc) but hope to enjoy lots of time on the beach.

[RedJeep]

Chock Full o' Nuts wrote:
I used to live in Pensacola. I would take my DS-then 3 to the beach during the day. We'd bundle up and make castles and draw in the sand. There's not very good shelling there, but you might find some clam shells there.

And don't rule out wading. When my kids were 6-12 they loved to go to the beach, it didn't matter what time of year. They'd run down to the water and splash around as long as they could stand it. Even when their lips turned blue and they were shivering uncontrollably they would swear the water wasn't really cold, LOL. Needless to say, I didn't go along with that. Time to head inside for a warm bath and some hot chocolate.

X2. I live in the NW where the water is always freezing at the coast. My kids, age 7, love running to the water, freeze their feet and run back out. Kids can always find something to explore at the beach and easiest of all is to take a walk and search for shells, crabs, treasure, etc.

[ogfalconsr]

Destin FL might be an option for you all.

[Jbird1311]

+1 for Fort Pickens. Went there in July and I bet your 9yr old would LOVE the fort!

[jon_lansing]

Many years ago when I was young, I lived in Orlando, originally from Iowa through the winter the beaches were great, very few people there in the afternoons water really didn't get cold until late February, I spent 2-3 afternoons a week on Cocoa Beach. I second the Navy Air museum we went last summer.

[Chock_Full_o__N]

I used to live in Pensacola. I would take my DS-then 3 to the beach during the day. We'd bundle up and make castles and draw in the sand. There's not very good shelling there, but you might find some clam shells there.

And don't rule out wading. When my kids were 6-12 they loved to go to the beach, it didn't matter what time of year. They'd run down to the water and splash around as long as they could stand it. Even when their lips turned blue and they were shivering uncontrollably they would swear the water wasn't really cold, LOL. Needless to say, I didn't go along with that. Time to head inside for a warm bath and some hot chocolate.

[TheAmRheins]

Since you are from WI, you will probably find the beaches in Jan/Feb balmy, but don't be surprised if the locals are staring... lol

[tatest]

If you swim in Lake Michigan during summer, you might find that the water off Gulf shore beaches in Jan-Feb is not too cold, if air temperatures are not too cold, and those can vary quite a bit in that season. People's temperature preferences vary, some won't go into water cooler than 80 F, others don't mind splashing around at the edges when it is 60.

My daughters at that age, and my granddaughters now, liked walking the beaches in cool weather, exploring, but also preferred to be dressed so that they could get into the water from time to time. When younger, it was hard keeping them out of it no matter how cool, but as they got older more things interested them. Beaches on Mississppi Bay may be more interesting for exploration, as some beaches right on the Gulf might be too clean to be interesting, even after a storm.

For a couple years my daughter lived two blocks off the beach at Ocean Springs, and were good to go exploring "their" beach anytime it was not cold and wet ( characteristic of winter weather on that coast), but to "go to the beach" for what people do there when it is warm, they preferred a cleaner, wider surf-swept beach.

[Opie431]

I lived near a beach when I was a child but much colder than the beach you will be at. What does you child like to do to entetain herself?

[TXcampingfamily]

How about horseshoes? When we camped near St. Augustine I saw a group that played bocce ball every evening. I don't know if that would work on the white sugar sands in the area you are at. When you're in Pensacola don't forget to see the Naval Aviation Museum.

[Opie431]

She is not too young to play golf.

[Candikane]

dahkota wrote:
I was at Buccaneer this past February and the water park was closed. The beach wasn't that great either, especially when compared to Fort Pickens. Just an FYI, Waveland, MS (where Buccaneer is located) was where Hurricane Katrina made landfall and the town was almost wiped off the map. One can see rebuilding everywhere but there are a lot of empty lots (for sale even), too. Not much in the town - walmart, the casino, a few restaurants. For a nine year old in February, not much to do.

A lot of the touristy things are closed or have limited hours during the winter - it is a lot colder there than further south. We saw 40s and 50s with an occasional day in the 60s.

Aw no fun! We were planning to stay 2 weeks in Fort Pickens and then head over to Gulf Shores for a month. Maybe not 😕

[dahkota]

I was at Buccaneer this past February and the water park was closed. The beach wasn't that great either, especially when compared to Fort Pickens. Just an FYI, Waveland, MS (where Buccaneer is located) was where Hurricane Katrina made landfall and the town was almost wiped off the map. One can see rebuilding everywhere but there are a lot of empty lots (for sale even), too. Not much in the town - walmart, the casino, a few restaurants. For a nine year old in February, not much to do.

A lot of the touristy things are closed or have limited hours during the winter - it is a lot colder there than further south. We saw 40s and 50s with an occasional day in the 60s.

[Candikane]

Beer on the beach sounds good; not sure my kiddo would enjoy that though 😉

[K_Charles]

One of my favorite things to do on the gulf shore in the winter is beer and seafood unless it gets chilly then I go with Crown Royal and raw oysters. I don't know how that will work with a 9 year old. Buccaneer State Park has a new water park. If you go over to the east coast Names Island county park has a water park also.