How to Treat a Sand Dollar or Starfish

Sand dollars, starfish and sea cucumbers all come from the same group of animals, echinoderms, which means spiny skin.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hobby Paintbrushes
• Elmer's Glue-All
• Bowls
• Paper Towels
• Watercolor Paints
• Paper Towels
• Paper towels
• Bowls

1. Wash your starfish and sand dollars carefully with clean water.

2. Let them dry completely in a sunny windowsill or on a windproof patio. As they dry, they become light and can easily blow away.

3. Strengthen a sand dollar by soaking it in glue water: Mix 1/4 c. glue with 4 to 5 c. water, and let the sand dollar soak for a few hours.

4. Use a paper towel to pat the sand dollar dry. Allow it to dry completely.

5. Color a starfish or sand dollar with watercolor paints.

Tips & Warnings

• Some areas prohibit the collection of all seashells, including sand dollars and starfish. The local park service is a good place to start looking for information.

[sylvster]

on 7/26/2007 enviomentlests

on 7/10/2006 A sand dollar that is dark reddish-brown in color is alive and should not be harvested. Some states have steep fines for someone caught harvesting life shellfish. Even if your state allows it, keep in mind that these are live animals and better left to their environment. A dead sand dollar will be grayish or white in color.

on 2/14/2006 Sand dollars and starfish aren't just seashells, they're living things and an important part of the ecosystem. Keep this in mind when collecting these animals.