Anything Can Happen: Sand Castles

I was remembering last night what it was like to squat on the sand at the edge of the ocean trying to build a castle and moat with beach pails and plastic shovels. I hope many of you had similar opportunities.

My brother and I or my sister and I would try to stack castle turrets onto sandy castle walls, then scoop out moats so that the occasional wave would fill the moat to out pleasure before they came closer and stronger, and stronger and closer until the walls and turrets would start to cave in to the incoming tide, smoothing out the sand until there was no trace of our masterpiece.

Here are some of the many more elaborate sand castles you can find .

Just google sand castles or sand castle winners under Google images. They've gone way beyond "mere" castles now .. .  as these portraits and mythical beasts show.

Even their castles are amazing and spectacular,

BUT--I suspect I had just as much pure fun as that small child with my more modest efforts, giggling and playing innocently in the summer sunshine.

Nearly 60 years have passed since my first years of sand castle memories, but I can still close my eyes and see my father's large hands scooping out sand and helping my small hands learn how to pack and plan the walls, turrets, and waves.


 Today make a date to build a sand castle with your child... whether you too are at a beach...

or far far from a beach

or even in a backyard or playground!

Create that joy,     that moment,    that memory  for your child...

anything can happen,  but magic is almost guaranteed !