Dad Builds Back Garden Beach So Kids Can Enjoy 'Seaside' In Lockdown

Lockdown is gradually easing and the weather is hotting up, but observing social distancing on UK beaches is no mean feat - as scenes over the Bank holiday weekend demonstrated.

So when Chris Thornton's kids asked if they could go to the beach, he decided instead to bring the seaside to them.

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The 40-year-old photographer from Leeds spent a few days in the garden crafting the coastal getaway 'from bits lying around the house, garage and recycle bin'. The end result was a beach complete with arcade games, ice creams and even seagulls (repurposed milk cartons).

Explaining why he decided to take on the project, Chris told LADbible: "The kids asked one day if we could go to the beach. I said unfortunately not but I'll see what I can do... I just wanted to make something fun for them. Somewhere they could escape to for a while.

"Kids imaginations are that great that you only have to give them a little bit and they'll fill in the blanks. We'd not really been anywhere in about eight weeks so it felt like they needed a change of scenery. We were also supposed to be jetting off to Spain just after this which obviously wasn't going to happen either."

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Cole, 9, and Clay, 3, are both particularly keen on the arcade games at the beach, so Chris built a homemade 2p machine and a teddy grabber - but did what any of us would do and picked up the fish and chips from the chippy.

Thankfully, the weather played ball too and all Chris' bin rummaging was well worth it.

Chris said: "After the fish and chips we took a trip to the amusements to win some prizes then cooled off in the sea. This turned into a water fight and we wrecked the whole thing. But for a few moments, eating our fish and chips under the hot sun, we could have been anywhere.

"I'd like to think it will be one of the kids' lasting memories of lockdown and something we'll always look back on and smile at."

Kids being kids though, means Chris' efforts only quenched their first for fun temporarily.

Chris said: "The kids loves their day but shortly after that asked if they could go to the cinema! Stay tuned - I'm half way through crafting that."

Let's all bring some positivity, support and fun to anyone who might find themselves in isolation as a result of the coronavirus spread. Need some entertainment? Join Isolation Nation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/coronasupport/

Topics: lockdown, Awesome, Daily Ladness, DIY, Community

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey