Beach Party Decorations for Kids to Decorate Inside

Palm Trees

• Create a relaxing tropical island in the middle of your family's playroom with a few beach-themed touches. You can simply go out and buy plastic or blow-up palm trees at your local party store, or you can help your child to make his own sculptural designs. Use a long, thin cardboard box to create a free-standing tree or cut a piece of cardboard into a rectangle shape that is taller than your child, to make a wall display. Cut out long green palm leaves from construction paper or poster board. Tape or glue the leaves to the top of the box or cardboard rectangle. Inflate a few brown balloons to tape on to the tree, making coconuts. Another option is to make mini trees to use as centerpieces. Glue the bottom of a cardboard paper towel tube to a flat cardboard base. Add thin strips of green tissue or construction paper to the top, gluing the ends into the inside of the tube to complete the craft.

Murals

• While you might think of murals as immovable pieces of public art, your child can create her own non-permanent indoor versions. Unroll a 10-foot or longer section of butcher paper or plain white gift wrap. Have your child draw a beach scene onto the paper with markers. She can add a sand area, water and waves, beach goers and a summer sun. Color or paint in the drawing to make it pop with vibrant hues. After the mural is dry, hang it up on a bare wall as a beach bash decoration. You can also turn the mural making into a party activity. Hang the blank paper on the wall and have the kids draw a beach scene on -- with everyone taking a turn -- using crayons. Avoid markers or paints, as these may stain your wall when the kids are creating.

Beach Balls

• Decorate your child's indoor beach party with an array of beach balls that can hang from the ceiling. Cut out beach ball-sized circles from white poster board. Have your child draw his own stripes or color block pattern on both the backs and fronts of the circles. Punch a hole at the top of each piece of art and tie a piece of yarn through as a hanger. Tape the other end of the yarn to the ceiling or tie it to a hook. You can save some blank circles until your guests arrive and have everyone decorate their own. To make a 3-D version, inflate balloons and cover them with paper mache. Blend a paper mache paste from your local craft store and dip construction paper strips into the mixture. After the paste dries -- this typically takes an overnight period -- paint the mock beach balls. Set the art on tables as party décor or hang them from the ceiling using yarn and hooks.

Sand Decor

• Add sand decor to your child's indoor beach bash to make a summer-time statement. Young kids can create a simple sand project, filling clear plastic bottles with colored craft sand. Thoroughly wash and dry empty bottles -- using different shapes and sizes -- and help your child to layer different colors of sand until she reaches the top. Put the cap on the bottle and tie a festive ribbon around the top. Older kids can create craft sand wall hangings that will brighten up your indoor beach scene. Use the side of a cardboard box as a base, sizing it to meet your needs. Have your child draw a simple beach seascape with a pencil on the board. For example, she can draw the sand in the front and the water towards the back of the board. Paint a thin layer of velar drying school glue over the cardboard and sprinkle colorful craft sand on top.