With our stunning Cornish coastal cottages for rent in Crantock, in Feock and on the Camel Trail, there’s every opportunity for fun and games on the county’s countless beautiful stretches of beach.

If you’re a sun worshipper it’s obvious what to do when you get there; slap on the sun cream, pick up your towel and roast for the day! But what if you’re the opposite of a sun worshipper, someone who burns easily, gets bored sitting around or has little kids to keep entertained?

Here’s our top five ideas for making the most of the glorious sands and rocky inlets near our Cornish beach cottages.

· Buy a book about local sea life and wildlife and take the kids on an adventure. Rock pools are packed with amazing mini-beasts like shrimp – which are completely see-through – to edible crabs and hermit crabs, limpets and even cowrie shells if you’re lucky. Plus there’s interesting sea weed, sand worms and strange beach-loving insects to discover

· Cornish coast cottages deliver the perfect opportunity for a beach all-nighter. Wrap up warm, take food and drinks and stay up to see the sun rise. There’s nothing quite so lovely and you can always sleep on the beach next day… you’re on your hols!

· Walk along the beach when the tide’s low, exploring the coastline from sea level instead of up on the coastal path. Just take great care with the tides – get a tide timetable and set off when the tide’s on its way out, giving yourself plenty of time and making sure you don’t get stranded

· Make the world’s biggest and most elaborate sandcastle. Make it human-sized if you like. Create it below the high tide line and give saving it your best shot when the tide comes in. It soon gets hilarious when the waves start encroaching and your lines of defence, trenches and walls come crashing down. The kids will go home very happy… and suitably exhausted!

· Make it your mission to find treasure. Treasure can be as prosaic as a beautiful piece of worn driftwood for your garden or as special as a rare sea shell, mineral, crystal or fossil. And your Cornish beach cottage is the perfect place to store your treasures, much better than in a tent or hotel room. Go collect… natural souvenirs hold wonderful memories!