![]() ![]() Most creatures in the tide pools do a magnificent job blending in with the environment. The question, “What is this?” was asked numerous times, and my answer was “I’m not sure,” more than I care to admit. Our first few trips to the tide pools I admittedly had no idea what we were looking for, or what we were looking at when we would excitedly discover something new. Before heading to the shore, take a few minutes to educate yourself on what you’ll likely find in the tide pools in your area. I highly recommend that you brush up on local marine life before you go exploring the tide pools with your kids. On one of our most recent tide pool trips I just happened to be looking out at the ocean, and lo and behold, a small pod of dolphins was no more than 50 yards from us playing – a special treat no matter which beach you’re visiting! Look upĭon’t forget to look up once in a while! So often we are all so focused on what’s at our feet that our heads are constantly pointing down. The morning low tides tend to have fewer people at the beach, which means more room to roam and more discoveries for you. If you like exploring with few other people around, hit up the early low tide cycle if possible. Hit the early tideĮach day has two low tides and two high tides. Try to get to the pools about an hour before the peak of low tide, and can stay for at least an hour and a half before the tide starts to noticeably rise. A high tide won’t necessarily make exploring impossible, but it will make it significantly more difficult with small children. When the tide is high, the pools fill up. There have been a few scenarios where I’ve talked up a grand tide pool adventure only to get to the rocky beach and see…no tide pools. Check your local tide report daily to see when low tides will occur. Low tide is best for exploring tide pools. I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve to make sure our tide pool time is the very best. Tide pools are our favorite place at the beach to explore.Īs with anything with kids, a tide pool trip takes just a bit of planning to ensure a successful experience for kids and guardians alike. Living on the coast means that we have the chance to see and observe some really amazing things that you can’t find many places. But we also like to slow down and take a good look at our surroundings. The liberties they’re given at the beach are something they absolutely revel in. I love letting the kids loose while under a watchful eye as they explore the shore. There is something invigorating about the sun, salty air, and refreshingly cool waters that we can’t get enough of. Rather, we like to head to a local rocky beach and scout out the tide pools that lie just offshore. One of my kids and my all-time favorite activities is not to go to the sandy beaches around us, though those are good fun. We now live in the thick of Los Angeles, and while the concrete jungle offers a lot for us to do, more often than not we crave getting out into nature. It wasn’t until moving to the West Coast and having children that I realized the ocean varies greatly, and with different shorelines come vastly different shore experiences. I was born and raised in a landlocked state, we didn’t get out past the cornfields very often. For the longest time, I thought that was the only kind of ocean experience there was. You probably think of the kind of beach with soft, powdery sand that is good for sand castle building, and the shore being perfect for floating, splashing, and jumping waves as they break. When you think of beaches and the shore you likely think of the kind of beach that slopes gently into a sapphire ocean, and a shore that is nice and smooth. If you’re on or close to a coast (or even visit for vacation), I highly recommend checking out a tide pool with your kids. As a landlocked mama, I dream of doing these types of explorations with my kids. My good friend and fellow outdoor adventure mama Desirée Macke put together an absolutely fantastic post all about what kind of treasures you can find in the tide pools, when to go, what to pack, what to wear and even the best tide pool locations across the country. I’m so excited to bring you this guest post today all about exploring tide pools with kids.
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