The summer sun is finally here, and with the sun comes a lot of fun! This is why we’re bringing you our guide of everything your little ones need to know (& more) about the seaside. 

Let’s start off with our 5 facts you need to know about the seaside: 

Fact no.1 - Sand is made up of tiny rock particles and other minerals. It is formed when rocks break down from the sea and weather over a loooong time. Making it into the soft material we play with today.  

Fact no.2 - Sand isn’t just found by the sea you know. Sand can form in lots of places such as rivers, lakes, canals and of course, deserts. No, not the chocolate pudding kind, this kind... 

Fact no.3 - Lot’s of things grow beside and in the sea you know. If you’re lucky enough to see the seaside in another country you can see palm trees growing on the beach as well as beautiful coral reefs with plenty growing under the sea. If you’re seeing the sea in the UK be sure to look out for all the variety of seaweed, sea kale and pine trees that grow around our beaches.

Fact no. 4 - When visiting the seaside, you’re visiting the home of THOUSANDS of animals. The list would be too long to have here, but some of the animals you can look out for are crabs, seals, seagulls, jellyfish and even sharks. Don’t worry about the sharks over here, they eat seaweed and are more scared of you than you are of them. 

Fact no.5 - Did you know not all beaches are the same? Some beaches have tall grass, some have pebbles and rocks and there are even beaches with black sand. 

The seaside challenge 

For those of you looking for adventure, there's lots to be found by the seaside this summer. To complete our seaside challenge we want you to find the following:   

A painted top shell - A beautiful shell, comprising many different colours and patterns. This shell can be found across all UK coastlines and is likely to be hanging around on rocks or in shallow water on rocks. 

A common cockle - This traditional seaside salty snack can be found in almost every beach in the UK. It’s elegant shell can be found on muddy or sandy shores particularly after high tide. Be sure to wear your wellies when looking for this one! 

A seal - Known as the dogs of the sea, seals can be found in abundance in British seas. Whether they’re bobbing up and down in the sea looking for food or sunbathing on large rocks, we challenge you to spot one of these friendly fellows. 

A crab - Crabs and other crustaceans love to wallow in the shallow waters of the rock pools. We can guarantee it won’t be long before you find one at the floor of the pool. If you’re brave enough to pick one of the little ones up, be careful of their sharp pincers! *ouch*  

Varieties of seaweed - Seaweed might seem boring at first but diving deeper this seemingly invincible plant grows EVERYWHERE and comes in a whole host of colours, sizes, patterns and shapes. Be on the lookout for different varieties on rocks, on the sand or in the sea while taking a dip. Share with us your most vibrant finds. 

Seagulls - This one should be straight forward, these seaside birds are found virtually everywhere! Just be careful when you spot one that you don’t have any chips...

Starfish - When you’re on the hunt for starfish you might find them while searching for crabs. These pretty fish can be found in rockpools or around them. 

Fossils - Fossil hunting is a serious task. People spend ages cracking open rocks trying to find them. Our advice is look for pebbley shores and bring a spade!

Jellyfish - Keep an eye out in shallow water for these floating blobs as they’re easy to spot. But be careful of their tenticles because they can sting you. 

Download the hunt below and take it to the beach! 1 point per find, share with us your scores to see who can find them all. 

Beach activities 

When you’re done learning about the seaside and you’ve found everything on our list, we have a tonne more activities you can still do at the beach to have even more fun. Get stuck in with the following: 

Build a sand castle WITHOUT using a bucket - Improvise with whatever’s in your bag or what’s around you. Don’t forget to tag us in any castle attempts you have. 

Sand art - Create pictures in the sand using a spade, stick or even your hands! If you’re feeling really arty, why not try a 3D creation too. 

Be one with the sea - There’s LOTS of fun to be had in the sea itself. Whether it’s wave jumping, bodyboarding, surfing or snorkeling. The choices of fun in the sea are endless.

We hope you enjoyed our guide to the seaside. We’d love to hear from you. So, if there’s a fact you know, something you’ve found or an activity we must try, let us know over on our socials. Show us what you've found by tagging us with @wearefetching and using the hashtag #fetchingbeachhunt