A tide pool is a place that children gravitate to when they are looking for ocean creatures. These small, shallow pools are easy to access and fun to explore.
Why are tidal pools full of life? They act as an oasis in the desert of the low tide. When the tide is in, animals can move easily across the beach. They find water, food, and hiding places everywhere. When the tide goes out, many animals move with it. Other animals like mussels hide from the heat of the sun and shut up tight. However, some animals continue to eat and hunt in hollows called tidal pools. These pools are cavities that store water that is warmed by the sun. As such, they are hotspots for diverse life.
Find a guide to tidal pool life in your area and bring it to the beach. Look into the pool and watch the animals move, hunt, and graze for food. Watch the mussels open and shut. Watch the barnacles wave in the water. Gently move a rock and see the crabs move out from underneath.
Make an ocean scope to examine what is living in the tidal pool without disturbing the animals. Cut the bottom out of a yogurt container, leaving a ½ inch rim. Cut a piece of magnifying plastic to the size of the container bottom and place it into the yogurt container. You will have a deep magnifying glass. Use modelling clay to seal the bottom of the container. Press it into the water and you have a magnifying glass that allows you to look underwater.
After your tidal pool adventures, read about tidal pool life. The book A Salmon For Simon by Betty Waterson describes a boy’s fascination with salmon and what happens when one gets trapped in a small pool. Stephen Swinburne’s Ocean Soup: Book of Tide Pool Poems is also promising for older readers.