1Mark the shoreline.

Prepare a large paper plate. Draw a line to mark the shoreline.

2Paint the paper plate.

Paint the ocean portion of the paper plate blue.

3Create a base for the beach.

Build the base for your beach with air dry clay or homemade salt dough.

4Cover the dough with sand.

Cover the whole surface of the dough or clay with sand. Pat down the sand to allow it to stick to the dough or clay.

5Create details.

Create lots of fun details for your beach. Below are some examples but you can always come up with more creative ideas.

a.)    Beach towel - cut a rectangular piece of colored paper and draw some stripes on it. Cut fringes on the edges if you like.

b.)  Beach umbrella - use a cocktail umbrella or make your own by forming a small paper cone and propping it up with a small stick for the handle.

c.)  Palm or coconut tree - create a palm tree out of paper.

1. Make a tree trunk by rolling a small rectangular piece of brown construction paper. Tape or glue the edge in place.
2. Create leaves from a small rectangular piece of green paper. Cut evenly-spaced slits along its long side.
3. Roll the green paper. Insert the uncut side into the top of the tree trunk.
4. Carefully open up the fringes.

d.)  Clay details - form colored air dry clay or salt dough into little details like a beach ball, a starfish, a sand bucket, a pair of flip-flops and even some beach-goers.

You can even make a sand castle and other sand sculptures out of uncolored salt dough or air dry clay. Place them on the beach then cover the scuptures with sand to blend in with the sandy beach.

6Prepare some unflavored gelatin.

Prepare unflavored gelatin according to package instructions. Since this step involves heating or cooking, young kids should be helped by an adult.

Add a few drops of blue food coloring and mix.

7Pour the gelatin mixture.

Wait until the gelatin mixture is lukewarm before pouring it into the blue section of your paper plate.