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Mermaid's purse hunt

Treasure from the sea! Hunt along the strandline for egg cases left by sharks and rays.

  • 20 min total
  • Low mess
  • Ages 3–5*
  • Outdoors
  • Beach days, especially spring
Let's do this

*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.

A tiny plan for your day

Estimated time: 2 min to find the strandline · 15 min to hunt · 3 min to head off. It's fine to stop early.

Before you start

What you’ll need

  • A beach walk
  • A phone camera

Let's begin

Five simple steps

That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.

  1. Find the strandline, the wiggly line of seaweed left by the tide.

  2. Look for little black or brown cases, some with curly tendrils or horns.

  3. These are mermaid's purses, the empty egg cases of sharks, skates and rays!

  4. Count them, and take a photo.

  5. Record your find with the Shark Trust's Great Eggcase Hunt.

All done!

That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.

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