Fun & Games

There’s something special about finding a toy or game piece from long ago on the beach. You can imagine a child playing with it on the beach and losing or forgetting it along the shore. Or if the shoreline was a former dumping ground, these little playthings could have been thrown out by a parent when the children outgrew them and they ended up on the beach or in the mud. Either way, we can find a huge range of toys and game pieces today on beaches around the world, worn by the waves but still able to bring us a sense of joy and wonder.

There’s nothing like finding a game piece on the beach to put a smile on your face. From dominos, dice, and games of luck and skill to chess pieces, chuckstones, mahjong, ohajiki, ishikeri, and more, some game pieces found on the beach could have been there for centuries. And some, though they may be ancient games, were obviously made after the invention of plastic!

Thanks to everyone who sent in their fun finds!.

Learn more about beach-found toys and games

Learn more about marbles, dominos, dice, toy vehicles, and more found on  beaches around the world. Articles ›

Learn more about marbles

Learn more about the different types of marbles you can find on the beach and where they come from. Articles ›

This article appeared in the Beachcombing Magazine November/December 2019 issue.