Find an activity
Back to ideas

Explore · Wild and Tumble activity

Rock pool peeking

A tiny world left behind by the sea. Crouch by a rock pool and see what's hiding.

  • 30 min total
  • Some mess
  • Ages 3–5*
  • Outdoors
  • Summer, low tide
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: 5 min to find a pool · 22 min to explore · 3 min to tidy. It's fine to stop early.

Before you start

What you’ll need

  • Wellies or beach shoes with good grip
  • A bucket of sea water, optional
  • Today's tide times

Let's begin

Five simple steps

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

  1. Go as the tide is going out.

  2. Find a shallow pool and crouch down beside it.

  3. Look very still. Can you see a crab, a shrimp, a sea anemone or a snail?

  4. Grown-up job

    An adult can gently lift a small rock, then put it back exactly as it was.

  5. Say goodbye to your pool friends.

All done!

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

If you enjoyed this

More little ideas like this.

All activities