This towel isn't just for drying off at the beach. It's crisscrossed with grosgrain ribbon for a giant tic-tac-toe board that's sure to produce hours of enjoyment in the sand. There's plenty of room for sitting on each end and no complicated cleanup: Just shake the towel out, and fold it up. What will you do for the Xs and Os? Send the kids to collect two different kinds of shells or rocks (five of each).

Start with a solid-color towel, and choose ribbon in a hue that will stand out. We used a 35-by-66-inch bath sheet and 1/2-inch grosgrain ribbon cut into four 24-inch strips. Center tic-tac-toe pattern on towel; each of our squares is 8 inches. You can use a transparent ruler to ensure ribbons are straight and boxes are square. Pin ribbons in place, turn them under at the ends, then sew down centers using thread in the same color as the ribbon.