The beach is a brilliant place for any child (or adult) and today we discovered that Clearwater Beach is a great beach!
With its long, wide stretch of soft, white sand, it is a beautiful natural playground. We bought some cheap spades, a bucket and a beach ball in a shop near the beach and my son was content to dig a big hole for an hour.
We rented two beach chairs and an umbrella for $20 for the day. This provided us with a base to leave our towels and some shade when we needed it.
The sea is really warm. We went for a quick swim and ended up getting out over an hour later with nobody getting too cold.
There is a small strip of shells as you get into the sea and then the sea base is sandy and the water gets deeper gradually so it is safe to play near the edge. Lifeguards are on duty.
We played in the sand and sea and went fishing off the pier. You can rent rods and bait.
Taking a child with an ASD to Clearwater beach?
The beach is a brilliant sensory trip with as much sand and water play as you can stomach!
If your child is worried about sand on their feet you can either take water shoes or less expensively, wear socks.
Go prepared! Take plenty of sunscreen, food, drinks, towels, buoyancy aids and anything else you may need.
Consider hiring beach chairs and umbrella to provide a shaded place to rest if necessary.
Clearwater is a beach on the west coast of Florida. Additionally to the obvious sand and sea, there is water sports, fishing, inflatables to play on, kids activities and plenty of restaurants and ice creams! Parking is available on the streets nearby and car parks are available for around $1.25 per hour.
