How to Visit Coastal Tidepools With Kids

Any coast or beach is a draw for the whole family, but especially a beach with tidepools. It's amazing to crouch down and observe a number of sea creatures swaying or moving. Here's a quick guide to the most common creatures you may witness and how to approach these delicate and wondrous areas with kids.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Gaze at a starfish for several minutes. They may be hanging on the undersides of rocks or hunkered down in tide pools, sometimes in mounds of pink and burgundy. Kids are amazed to watch them crawl. Help them notice how far one has moved in a given timeframe. Another neat observation is to see a starfish "eat" using the center of its underside, the hole in the middle of the star.

2. Show youngsters how to gently touch the poky ends of the "needles" of purple sea urchins or finger the soft, swaying yet sticky tentacles of a sea anemone. If you gently prod its center, it contracts.

3. Demonstrate to the kids how the barnacles (white-shelled cylinders) and the mussels (tightly closed black shells) cling to rocks. Caution them, however, to be careful of treading on both because they are living creatures, no matter how small.

4. Enjoy the hermit crabs scurrying around the bottom of the tidepool. Remove one to place in your palm or your child's palm. Explain how, as it grows, the crab seeks out a bigger shell for a home.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember, don't remove any creatures as souvenirs, though occasionally signs give permission for visitors to remove driftwood.