• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • About
  • Shop
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

teach mama logo

teach mama

helps families connect & build bridges between home & school, by amy mascott

  • early literacy
    • alphabet
    • beginning sounds
    • phonics
    • phonological awareness
    • read-aloud learning
    • rhyming
    • sight words
  • reading
    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
    • family life
      • family fun
      • giving back
      • lunchbox love notes
      • school
    • indoor activities
    • outdoor activities
  • digital literacy
    • computer time
    • iPad for learning
  • early literacy
    • alphabet
    • beginning sounds
    • phonics
    • phonological awareness
    • read-aloud learning
    • rhyming
    • sight words
  • reading
    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
    • family life
      • family fun
      • giving back
      • lunchbox love notes
      • school
    • indoor activities
    • outdoor activities
  • digital literacy
    • computer time
    • iPad for learning
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

beach learning: hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs, ghost crabs, sand crabs & more

home / science / beach learning: hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs, ghost crabs, sand crabs & more
1.6K shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

The beach can be difficult vacation for families with young children, there’s no doubt about it.

Beyond even getting there–the packing, the long drive, the daily to-and-from the beach with a million trillion supplies–being there is sometimes hard, too.

beach learning

Even with a ton of hands on deck, by the end of the week, the sand, the over-tired kids, the sun, the sand, the sand–everywhere!–is enough to make even the most relaxed parent a little edgy.ย  However, I have to say that once we passed the diaper stage, things got a lot easier.

This year, we could really have fun at the beach–jumping waves, building sand structures, and learning.

The shore is a science class at your fingertips, and for those of us who don’t get to the beach but once a year, there’s so much exploring to do, that it’s nuts.ย  The beach is an ideal time to really focus on raising curious kids–kids who observe, who question, who wonder, and who want to learn more.

At the Delaware beach we visited–Bethany Beach–we had the opportunity to do some serious firsthand discovering; long walks, quiet hunts, a whole lot of digging, and an equal part of being still allowed us to find some real treasures: horseshoe crabs, ghost crabs (our first!), sand crabs, and more.

And the really cool thing is that no matter what beach you hit this summer–or any time of the year–you can do the same and find treasures of your own.

Here’s the skinny. . .

Beach Learning — Horseshoe Crabs, Ghost Crabs, Sand Crabs & More:

Don’t get me wrong–we didn’t make our vay-cay one long research session, that’s for sure.

We spent hours and hours in the water.ย  We rode waves and jumped waves and boogie boarded and floated and floated some more.ย  We dug and played and dug and played some more.

But what we did throughout the trip was simple:

  • We really looked at what was around us.
  • We took long walks–with a bucket–so we could save our treasures.
  • We asked questions about the things we didn’t know or didn’t understand.
  • We were really excited to share with others all of the new things we were learning.

And what we couldn’t figure out on the trip, we figured out when we got home–or on the way home.ย  Specifically, we learned about crazy amounts of crabs.ย  Horseshoe crabs, sand crabs, ghost crabs, and hermit crabs.ย  And we learned about manta ray egg sac and a little bit about the ocean waves and tides.

beach learning horseshoe crab

Yes, that guy was alive. And yes I wanted to scream.

Here’s what we found:

Horseshoe Crabs:

YES! I did totally freak out when I turned one over and it was alive.ย  I have never, ever, ever in my life seen a horseshoe crab alive, so I did in my mind scream

  • Horseshoe Crab site by the NOAA that includes Horseshoe Crab Fun Facts, the History and Biology of Horseshoe Crabs, and more
  • An article in The Coastal Point — What’s With the Horseshoe Crabs?
  • A video from Nature: Learning about Horseshoe Crabs

Sand Fleas (we’ve always called them ‘sand crabs’):

But these are the little guys we dig up right where the water breaks.ย  Maddy, Owen, and Cora love to find them and then let them tickle the palms of their hands. You can tell where they are by the air bubbles that come up through the wet sand.

  • Sand Fleas site — everything you ever wanted to know about sand fleas and so much more. Seriously.

beach learning: curious kids

Those little holes were everywhere–lucky us to catch a glimpse of the ghost crab!

Ghost Crabs:

These are totally new to us–I have never seen them at the beach ever–and I’ve been going to the Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey beaches my whole life.ย ย ย  We came across one on an afternoon when Maddy, Owen, Cora, and I were taking a long walk. Cora screamed, MOMMY!! IT’S A SPIDER!! MOOOMMMMY!!And by the time I got there, all that remained was a tiny hole in the sand.

  • Video from Between the Lions: If you were a spider crab
  • Animal Spot: Ghost Crab

beach learning: manta ray egg pouch

Thanks to the Wild Kratts, Maddy and Owen knew exactly how this egg sac worked!

Skate or Ray Egg Sac:

Seriously! Maddy found something totally strange and unusual, and she asked a lifeguard what it was.ย  He said it was a manta ray egg sac, and then immediately, Maddy and Owen started spewing off facts about what it was and how it worked.ย  Thank you, Wild Kratts!

  • Go Remora from Wild Kratts
  • GloBio:ย  Skates and Rays information site, super kid-friendly and call the egg sac a ‘mermaid’s purse’
  • The Assateague Naturalist — everything found on the shores of the Assateague

beach learning hermit crabs

Hermie, chillin in her condo while Maddy and I learn about how to k

Hermit Crabs:

We’re thrilled to welcome ‘Hermione’ orย  ‘Hermie’ for short, into our family! Maddy decided to use her allowance money to buy a new sister, and we’re totally excited.ย  But we’ve never had a hermit crab before, so we’ve had to do a bit o’ learning. . .

  • Crazy About Hermit Crabs from Wild Kratts
  • Hermit Crab Care on YouTube by expertvillage that is seriously four minutes of hermit crab everything
  • 20 Hermit Crab Facts You Really Need to Know — actually really did need to know this. . .
  • hermitcrabs.com

But I can’t stress enough that it has to start early! Curiosity about the world starts with our littlest guys when they are still teeny, and we, as parents and teachers, must continue it with modeling and supported learning from here on out.ย  Happy beach learning!

beach learning

Want to get your kids doing a little beach-hunting? Print out this Beach Scavenger Hunt before you head to the shore!

Check out a few other posts that may help you develop strong and healthy habits for your family:

  • wait time
  • my day, your day
  • frozen peas
  • kids who rock the kitchen
  • kids who rock the laundry
  • rest time
  • gem jars
  • arm circles
  • noticing kids
  • homework routine

Post originally published July 30, 2012

fyi: Some of the links in the post above are โ€œaffiliate links.โ€ This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Forever and always I recommend only products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissionโ€™s 16 CFR, Part 255: โ€œGuides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.โ€ ย For more information, please see teachmama media, llc. disclosure policy.ย 

You May Also Like...

  • Virtual Summit for Educators: Navigating the Online Classroom & Beyond
    Virtual Summit for Educators: Navigating the Online Classroom & Beyond
  • Navigating Education in a Time of Uncertainty: A Virtual Summit for Educators
    Navigating Education in a Time of Uncertainty: A Virtual Summit for Educators
  • how to prepare your child for kindergarten -- summertime prep
    how to prepare your child for kindergarten -- summertime prep

About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro ยท http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

Previous Post:what you need to know: disney's performing arts programswhat you need to know: disney’s performing arts programs
Next Post:back-to-school eye exams: get kids ready for the school yearback-to-school eye exams get kids ready for the school year teachmama.com

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carolyn Wilhelm

    July 30, 2012 at 10:34 am

    I added this to the science resources page on your We Teach site! This is a wonderful post with so many things people might not realize or think to do at the beach! Carolyn

    http://www.weteachgroup.com/group/weteachblogswelove/page/science-resources

    Reply
  2. Becki

    July 30, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    So cool! My kids are just little now, but I look forward to doing all this with them one day.

    Reply
  3. [email protected]

    July 30, 2012 at 3:07 pm

    Don’t you just love opportunities where the kids can learn and don’t even realize it?! Our beach vacation was similar. The kids discovered all sorts of new beach and ocean life. I turned it into Beach Week at The Homeschool Scientist. http://thehomeschoolscientist.com/tag/beach-week/

    Reply
  4. Elaine

    July 30, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    We recently did a beach related experiment that your crew might be interested in. We gathered a glass jar of ocean water, let the sand settle and dumped the cleanest water we could out into another jar. Then we watched the level of water in the jar lower until we had salt. There’s a surprising amount of salt in a pint jar of ocean water. This is one good use of extremely hot days! It only took a couple of weeks for our water to evaporate and leave sand behind.

    Reply
    • amy

      July 30, 2012 at 7:31 pm

      Elaine!! AWEsome. I cannot wait to try this –will definitely do it next year!! Thanks for reading, and huge thanks for the idea!!

      Reply
  5. Laral

    July 30, 2012 at 5:50 pm

    I want to add this article to my science blog!!!! I love it!

    Reply
    • amy

      July 30, 2012 at 7:30 pm

      thanks so much, Lara!! Means so much to me!!

      Reply
      • Laral

        July 30, 2012 at 7:33 pm

        I am planning a beach trip and I have hermit crabs at school. I am going to keep my eye out for those other things…YIKES!

        Reply
        • amy

          July 30, 2012 at 8:19 pm

          YIKES is right–but they’re so cool, too–let me know if you find ’em!!

    • amy

      July 30, 2012 at 8:18 pm

      Thank you sooo much, Laral!!

      Reply
  6. Stephanie Reed

    July 31, 2012 at 9:55 am

    Ghost crabs feed at night. When our kids and their cousins were young, we packed flashlights for the beach and picked one night for โ€œcrabbingโ€. Then we took a night walk on the beach, flashlights at the ready. We scanned the sand, and whenever we spotted a ghost crab (look between the holes and the water), we “pinned” it with the beam of light. The crab froze, we squealed, watched it for a second, and then turned off the light to let him go. So much fun!

    Reply
  7. sara

    January 4, 2013 at 9:40 pm

    crabs can be scary

    Reply
  8. misty ludwig

    December 29, 2017 at 10:22 pm

    Ghost Crabs? Those are not ghost crabs those are devils bags, they are shark eggs that didn’t hatch and dried in the open air and sun! The waves wash them up.

    Reply
  9. misty ludwig

    December 29, 2017 at 10:23 pm

    http://www.kids-fun-science.com/ghost-crabs.html this is a ghost crab

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sidebar

amy mascott profile blog

join the coolest club around:

  • About
  • Contact
  • disclaimer
  • terms of use
  • privacy policy
  • Site-Map

Instagram


our books

setting the stage for rock-star readers
raise a reader

Find Us On Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Helpful Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Follow Us On Instagram

View
Open
UMD Womenโ€™s Basketball ROCKS!! โค๏ธ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ–ค๐Ÿ€

We absolutely love watching you play, @terpswbb !

We love watching you perform, @marylandcheer !

And @mightysoundofmd we love your music and your hilarious signs! ๐Ÿ˜ฌ๐Ÿ˜ณ

See you in Greenville! 

#terpsbasketball #terpswbb #umd #familyfun #marylandcheer #umdfamily
View
Open
Tomorrow is St. Patrickโ€™s Day!

Are you ready? 

https://shop.teachmama.com/

#saintpatricksfun #stpaddysforkids #familyfun #classroomactivities #teachmamashop
View
Open
This is how we use the St. Patrickโ€™s Day Brain Teaser Scavenger Hunt! ๐Ÿ€

Super easyโ€”and makes kids work a little for their golden chocolates! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Grab them here: https://shop.teachmama.com/product/st-patricks-day-scavenger-hunt-4-pack/

<< Tag a pal who needs to know about this and would LOVE to use it with kids or students! >>

#stpatricksdayfun #saintpaddysday #stpaddysforkids #stpatsfun #linkinbio
View
Open
and then there were six
๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฆ๐ŸฆŠ๐Ÿฆ„๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฐ

thank you @thewoobles for giving my mind, heart, and hands something fun to do during a really challenging few months. 

#crochet #thewoobles #brainbreak #teachersanitysaver #shescrafty
View
Open
With great sadness, I'm writing to share that my brother-in-law, Jeff Mascott passed away from pancreatic cancer earlier this week--at home, surrounded by family and friends. 

The family is very grateful for the community's immeasurable help, encouragement, and prayers over the past several months since Jeff's diagnosis. 

Jeff's obituary will run this weekend in the Post: 
https://www.collinsfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Jeff-Mascott?obId=27420280&fbclid=IwAR2YTRooCyaLTikfjLeqF4gM-GaB1amZI2OmVl1VtKLUOjWj3Wo4URD8lC8#/obituaryInfo
View
Open
Flowers and a basket of @traderjoes faves are salve for a tired and weepy soul. ๐ŸŒท

Thankful for great, longtime friends ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’›

#itshardtobeahuman #thankfulheart #wlhs4evah #teacherbffs
View
Open
Almost 30 years of friendship!! I love these smart, beautiful, strong and creative women who walked with me through my early days of teaching. 

๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’š

Thank you, Wilde Lake High School, for bringing us together way back when. 

๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ’›

Missed you, jigofjoy ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’š

#weareteachers #andoneprincipal #wildelake #wlhs4evah #teacherbffs #wildelakehs #teachersofinstagram #celebratewewill
View
Open
Today marks the 4th time in 3 weeks that I have had to hang new Kindness Reminders Tear-off Sheets! 

Makes my heart ๐Ÿฅฐ!! 

Some kids come by every day and give one to a new person. Others take a bunch for the week. One 2nd grade girl comes by evey morning to tell me who she gave hers to the day before. 

Every little bit helps, friend. And every interaction matters!

#kindnessrocks #adoormadeforme #teachersofinstagram #makeadifference
View
Open
Best crew for one of the best @terpswbb games weโ€™ve seen all season! 

And of course super job by @marylandcheer and @mightysoundofmd too! 

#terpswbb #terpsbasketball #familyfun #marylandcheer

Copyright © 2023 · teach mama media, llc · All Rights Reserved

  • 50
1.6K shares