What gifts to take to a beach house

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have two upcoming beach vacations and we will be staying at our friend’s beach houses. Both friends are dh’s friends and we do not regularly see them, especially during this pandemic. Both families are affluent and I can’t think of anything to buy to take as gifts. We plan to take some good alcohol. I would like to get something for the kids.

Can you recommend gifts for the following ages?

-7yo girl
-two 11 year old girls
-11 yo boy

Typical gifts like towels, beach toys, puzzles, board games don’t seem nice enough.

Last year, I gifted fishing poles and kites.

I am affluent and have a beach house and I don't think any gifts are necessary but I also think if someone brought puzzles or board games for the kids we'd all be thrilled. Personally, we have dozens of beach towels and also beach toys, so we don't need any more of that gear, but something for the kids to play with is nice.

If you wanted to do something fancier you could get nice beach cover ups, but I also have two girls so I'm not sure if I had sons they would want that. To go along with the good alcohol for the adults you could bring a sno-cone machine and syrup for the kids - we have that and it's always a hit with guests.

Thank you for the comment.

I will get some beach cover ups for the girls. One of the dads is a widower. In the past, I loaded up his girls with American Girl doll accessories but I think they may have outgrown dolls.

I was considering water guns and balloons to take. My kids love these. DH thinks the water balloons are a pain to clean up. They are fun though.

I always bring my niece and nephew those easy fill water balloons and bring a few regular sized balloons that I secretly fill up to be ginormous. Whoever picks up the most pieces of the little balloons gets the big one! (Of course there are two big ones!)

Also, some kind of craft or activity kit that is semi disposable. Gives them something to do but isn’t another toy to keep around. They can also save for a rainy beach day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have two upcoming beach vacations and we will be staying at our friend’s beach houses. Both friends are dh’s friends and we do not regularly see them, especially during this pandemic. Both families are affluent and I can’t think of anything to buy to take as gifts. We plan to take some good alcohol. I would like to get something for the kids.

Can you recommend gifts for the following ages?

-7yo girl
-two 11 year old girls
-11 yo boy

Typical gifts like towels, beach toys, puzzles, board games don’t seem nice enough.

Last year, I gifted fishing poles and kites.

The word "gift" is not a damn verb! Gifted is an adjective, as in "gifted child."
Stop murdering the English language.

You might want to consider consulting a dictionary. Also, last I checked, you can’t murder non-living things.

[Anonymous]

If you know the areas and there’s a local ice cream shop, a gift card for that would also be great.

We’ve always been happy to let people use our place and I don’t expect anything for it, but booze is always nice. I know it’s not glamorous, but I’m also happy if people want to restock staples like tp or paper towels or dish soap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have two upcoming beach vacations and we will be staying at our friend’s beach houses. Both friends are dh’s friends and we do not regularly see them, especially during this pandemic. Both families are affluent and I can’t think of anything to buy to take as gifts. We plan to take some good alcohol. I would like to get something for the kids.

Can you recommend gifts for the following ages?

-7yo girl
-two 11 year old girls
-11 yo boy

Typical gifts like towels, beach toys, puzzles, board games don’t seem nice enough.

Last year, I gifted fishing poles and kites.

The word "gift" is not a damn verb! Gifted is an adjective, as in "gifted child."
Stop murdering the English language.

The dictionary disagrees with you.

noun

1: a notable capacity, talent, or endowment
2: something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation
3: the act, right, or power of giving

gift verb
gifted; gifting; gifts

transitive verb

1: to endow with some power, quality, or attribute
She's been gifted with a beautiful voice.
2a: to make a gift of
b: PRESENT
gifted her with flowers

Stop acting like you're smart.

[Anonymous]

What about some spa stuff for the 11 year old girls and even the 7 year old? They can do that on a rainy day..a nail kit and some polishes, a face mask, etc? Put it all in a little cute bucket or something? Maybe a movie to go with it call it a girls night in basket?

[Anonymous]

Telescope?
Rent kayaks and have them delivered?

[Anonymous]

Potato cannon.

[Anonymous]

Outdoor games - A wooden ladderball game. Cornhole if they don't already have it. Bocce. Croquet set. We have all these at our beach house and they get used.

For the adults I'd do a gift card for a local restaurant. Or a case of wine. We go through crazy amounts of wine when we have guests all summer (not this year obviously).

[Anonymous]

Fun beach reads/rainy day entertainment: box set of babysitters club books and/or sweet valley twins and/or the hardy boys

[Anonymous]

Just take everyone out to a vet nice restaurant for dinner.

[Anonymous]

My son is five but he really likes those water bazookas that shoot far. They are really fun for all ages at the beach. Maybe a set of those and then something fun for home like a board game - a good one like Ticket to Ride. And alcohol and baked goodies for the adults and everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmmmm...we just left a family member’s fancy beach house and just resupplied their pantry and refrigerator with full bottles of anything we used; olive oil, balsamic vinegar, condiments, beer, cans of seltzer, mixers.

Also left Bombay Sapphire.

They kind of have everything, are practical and specific.

Could you buy gift cards to the kids’ favorite beach ice cream place or toy store or amusement pier? Leave gift certificates at the house with a thank you in their rooms?

My ILs have a modest condo at a beach. The few times we visited I always left a gift. MIL told me to stop, that we are family and to consider it my/our home.

Sounds like you hit the MIL jackpot!

[Anonymous]

We own a beach house. I would not want a snow cone machine. It’s just more crap to store somewhere. Plus, some people would complain about the sugar content. Also, no to stuff the host already has - beach towels and toys, etc. Yes to wine, gourmet food, gift certificates. Puzzles are big in our house, so that would be good. Maybe grilling spices or sauces?