Making Cents: Head for the coast and make the seaside your playground this summer

This week the Irish Examiner is running Ocean Week, a celebration of the importance of the waters that surround us. 

Resources are available online to help parents and children learn more about the ocean and make the most of trips to Ireland’s shores, including at marine.ie

Most children have an innate love of water, from earliest bath times to seaside trips. But it can be hard to know how to build on that love while giving them a deep appreciation of the importance of our oceans, and the need to protect them.

For parents who were never involved in water-based activities such as sailing or surfing, these worlds can appear exclusive, and swimming lessons are more likely to take place in a pool than open water.