5 Sea Ranch Activities for a Childhood Unplugged
Sea Ranch activities for a childhood unplugged may be just what you and your child need for the best vacation ever. Even more essentially, you’ll be able to enjoy time together when you are faced with a vacation that is “plagued” by power outages due to rainy weather, such as California’s Bomb Cyclone of 2023.
It will certainly be the ticket to bringing a smile to the faces of your children. It has for our own children and grandchildren as seen pictured here.
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” ~ Fred Rogers
Time to Unplug the Kids
“Play is the highest form of research.” ― Albert Einstein
Play…We can’t seem to get enough of it for our children.
Screens.
Everywhere.
Filled with color, filled with sound, filled with noise.
Bling for the brain.
Unplugged for Greater Connection
Did you know that research from University of California, Los Angeles showed children who spent time unplugged were better at reading human emotions when compared to children who spent more time with technology?
Unplug Yourself Too
Are you spending less time with your children because your smartphones and tablets are stealing your attention away?
The Research Says..
Are your children included in the seventy-two percent of children age 8 and under who have used a mobile device for some type of media activity such as playing games, watching videos, or using apps?
Are you worried your children will become addicted to smartphones and tablets as one 4-year old did?
Do your children and you need to get back to the simple act of play?
Then you need to take an unplugged Sea Ranch family vacation!
At Sea Ranch kids can discover nature, fun, and family.
And to help you regain a childhood unplugged we have listed five fun-filled Sea Ranch activities!
Unplug the Kids at Sea Ranch!
A family vacation at Sea Ranch is the perfect opportunity to get away from the routines of your house, refresh your energy, reconnect with each other and learn to play unplugged.
Located in the northernmost point of coastal Sonoma County, the eco-minded community of Sea Ranch was inspired by a goal to “live lightly on the land.” Its architectural design of its wood-framed structures and homes blend seamlessly with the topography. Natural and native are its guidewords.
A vacation here makes it is easy to make their ethos your guidestone to a tech-free holiday.
When you plan your Sea Ranch vacation be sure to include these five Sea Ranch activities for your tech-free vacation fun.
1- Get Close to Nature
Sea Ranch’s serene natural surroundings offer your kids an excellent opportunity to come close and personally engage with nature.
There is no greater joy than the exhilaration of children as they discover the wonders of the world about them.
In the blink of an eye, they’ll not care about your vacation home’s WiFi and electronic amenities. Instead, they’ll thrill at discovering nature’s marvelous creatures right within their reach.
Whales migrating pass your windows, seals lounging in the rocks below the bluffs.
Deer grazing in the fields,
Wild turkeys gobbling at the street corner,
Foxes , bobcats, hawks, and herons
~ all moving on their own power.
No batteries needed!
Many vacation homes include guidebooks identifying the flora and fauna of the area.
You may even find binoculars or spotting scopes are provided for your up close and personal encounters.
Hi-Def digital technology will soon pale to the full color saturation of a sunset. Your kids will be astounded by the natural surround sound of the waves rolling towards the shore.
Soon the only thing flashing and blinking will be the stars in the inky skies daring your kids to count each one.
2 – Explore the Meadows, Redwoods, and Hedgerows
When was the last time you went on a bear hunt ~ with grass so high you can’t go over it or under it that you had to go right through it?
Have you ever been in an Ewok forest?
What fantastical creatures would you or your kids imagine live in the mysterious hedgerow forests?
Explore in the Trees
The towering redwoods on The Sea Ranch hills are sure to provide a cozy home for an Ewok, a gnome, or perhaps a fairy or two.
Look for curious creatures that have made a cozy home under the chanterelles, porcinis, and other mushrooms that have popped up after the winter’s rains.
Let Your Imagination Soar
Discover One-eyed Jack’s playground nestled next to one of Sea Ranch’s many hedgerows. Here you and your kids can become pirates upon the high seas.
Fly to Never-Never Land.
Or play out a bazillion other stories their imaginations create.
Fantastical Hedgerows
Stroll between the towering trunks of the hedgerows. Their branches gently arch to the ground forming a tunnel of great mystery.
Who knows what creatures – real or fantastical – you may encounter there.
Keep your course true by walking towards the light at the end of Mother Nature’s tunnel.
Soon you’ll discover the sun’s reflection on the sea has always been your guide-star.
A staircase at the bluff’s edge carries you to the shores of Dune Drift Beach, Tide Pool Beach, or Shell Beach.
And for the beachside construction engineers try making driftwood fort and hanging out inside it:
Learn how here:
These Sea Ranch activities have benefit for you too!
There could be no greater pleasure than to be at your child’s side, guiding their unveiled excitement of discovery in The Sea Ranch meadows, tide pools, and forests.
3 – Explore Local Food Markets and Have Picnics
Plan a picnic menu with your children, then go shopping at either of Gualala’s markets, Surf Market or Gualala’s Supermarket.
Don’t forget to pack your shopping bags (California charges 10¢ for bags)!
You’ll find a great selection of cheeses (especially Pazzo Marco at The Surf Market), jams and of course organic local produce. During the summer months great finds can be had at weekly Farmers’ Markets in Gualala and nearby towns.
4. Enjoy Family Game Night
Most Sea Ranch vacation rental homes have a great selection of board games and decks of cards. Some may even offer ping pong.
Or if your family has a favorite game at home, be sure to pack it and bring it along.
Turn off the TV, unplug the kids and challenge them to a game of Parcheesi, Checkers, Monopoly, Scrabble, Yahtzee, Candyland and more. Pull out the deck of cards for a game of Fish or Old Maid.
5. Keep a Travel Art Journal
A travel art journal is a visual journal where you record your traveling experiences, events, feelings, new things you’ve learned, etc., while making art. Keeping a travel art journal gives your children (and you😉) a more profound experience of your trips. Also, they become more mindful of everything they see, taste, or feel while you travel. Even if they make the journal after you’ve come home, it still enriches your experience and lets you relive it again.
Some clever artists create their own journals. They may be elaborately decorated. Or they may be as mundane as drawing on maps, receipts, even barf bags.
At Abalone Bay you’ll not need to resort to whatever is found in your pocket or purse. You’ll find pocket sized personal journals and a larger pad of sketch paper to capture …
📍Places you’ve seen
🚶♂️People you’ve met
🌅 What’s the most inspiring and beautiful place you’ve seen
🧆 The best local dish
😳 Your personal stories from the trip (funny and awkward ones included)
🌎 What you’ve learned about the people, places or culture
Just be sure to take time to make time for making art of all your memories.
6. When All Else Fails – Eat Ice Cream
Make a visit to the Surf Market and let your kids select a sampler of handcrafted small-batch gelato locally made with organic local ingredients by Pazzo Marco.
Pazzo Marco gelato is made from scratch in small batches beginning with farm fresh, local, organic milk from grass-fed Jersey cows. The milk is picked up fresh from the farm just after milking time. They then add hand selected premium ingredients: free-range cage-free organic eggs, 80% dark Valrhona chocolate, hazelnuts from the Piedmont region of Italy, California toasted almonds and pistachio’s from Sicily, Suisun Valley peaches and apricots, Lake County Bartlett pears, Meyer lemons fresh from our garden, Sebastopol strawberries, and local huckleberry. Their goal is that you will enjoy eating their gelato as much as they enjoy making it.
It is certainly a favorite of our family!
Or try it as a dessert course when dining at any of these great restaurants:
Planning Your Unplugged Sea Ranch Holiday
Are you ready to try out these Sea Ranch activities for your unplugged holiday?
How to get there:
Sea Ranch is about one hundred miles north of San Francisco. The drive takes a good three hours, especially if you take time to appreciate the coastline. In fact, it is known as a Bucket-List Road Trip.
Consider swinging through Bodega Bay for a lunch stop of fish and chips or clam chowder to break up the drive. And don’t forget to pick up a bag of fresh salt water taffy!
Be warned: Sea Ranch is not an easy trip for those who get car sick easily. The trip is filled with many twists and turns along the coastal highway.
Visit our Guest Information page for more detailed driving directions.
Where to stay:
There are many well-equipped rental houses, including ours, Abalone Bay. Some have hot tubs, with a view of the ocean. Prices on rentals range from about $200-$1000 a night depending on location, size, and amenities. It is a perfect venue for family reunions, romantic getaways, girls/gentlemen gatherings, retreats, or multi-family trips. Many are also pet-friendly.
What to bring:
Before you pack your car be sure to check the amenities available with the owner or property manager of the home you have booked. You may also view them on their website.
For example, Abalone Bay’s amenities for an unplugged vacation include:
- white water, ocean bluff views
- direct access to the bluff trails
- board games,
- books,
- gourmet cooking supplies
- some spices/herbs
- baking recipes and books for children,
- trail and guidebooks and other reading material for adults and children
- binoculars
Items that you may need to be prepared to pack include:
- Children’s bikes (Note – you can rent adult size bikes from The Sea Ranch Supply and Building)
- yoga mats
What else to see:
There is plenty to do around Sea Ranch. Hikes, kayaking, golf, breweries and wineries, and a visit to the National Point Arena-Stornetta Landmark and Point Arena lighthouse.
You’ll also want to schedule a visit to B Bryan Wild Animal Preserve. When you go be sure you don’t leave without getting a big kiss from the giraffes.
Migrating whales and many seals hang out on the rocks so bring your binoculars.
Bonus: There are 3 recreation centers each with a pool. The Del Mar Center is kept heated year-round. The dry sauna makes the pool even more enticing.
Discover more exciting and adventurous experiences at Sea Ranch and nearby areas by visiting our link here.
How to dress:
Always dress for blustery winter weather- especially during the summer. A hat, gloves and a windbreaker are de-rigueur. Sunscreen is a must. Don’t forget moisturizer to combat windburn.
Importantly, Make sure everyone has solid walking shoes. You may even want to consider hiking/walking sticks to help in your trail navigation.
Share Your Unplugged Sea Ranch Activities
Do you have a favorite activity for when you and your children are unplugged? Post it in the comments below.
And don’t forget to share these Sea Ranch activities with your friends and family on Facebook or Instagram!
Book Your Stay at Abalone Bay
Love this, Donna! Especially how they’re all themed with a ‘getting back to nature’ twist. So often we get lost in our tvs and smartphones and Netflix, that we don’t get to really enjoy our surroundings. Thanks for the reminder. And the insider info!
Great post! I love the focus on being unplugged.These days it is so hard to get away from smartphones and ipads with all the distraction they bring. It is such joy when I can get a little time to just smell the roses ….
Love your blog. Being parents of Waldorf schooled kids, our kids grew up unplugged, and we’ve have the very best time vacationing at beaches. Just another suggestion – bring shovels. Kids love to dig!
What a great article. I hope I will do it one day to Abalone Bay with my kids and husband. They would surely enjoy the nature there. Just as I.