Our experience with oceans and lakes usually starts while our toes are still in the sand. These 40 fun beach facts help kids connect to the sandy shores even more.
Children love playing in the sand on the beach or at a sensory table. Fun sand and dune facts can extend children’s learning in either scenario.
Sand is made of tiny grains of rocks and minerals. It may also have crushed seashells.
It can take thousands of years for rocks to break down into grains of sand.
Sand can be many different colors.
The color of sand usually ranges from creamy white to brown. But sand can also be orange, white, red, pink, green, or black! This depends on the location of the beach.
Black sand is made of materials from volcanos.
Some white sand beaches are made of parrotfish poop. Parrotfish can’t digest a mineral in coral and excrete it.
Some beaches are covered in rocks or pebbles instead of sand.
A sand dune is a mound of sand made by wind. Sand dunes can be so tall they seem like mountains!
A group of dunes is called a dune belt.
Dunes have different shapes, including dome, star, crescentic, and linear.
Activity: Use colored play sand to create different colored beaches in a sensory bin. Add seashells, smooth stones, and even water to extend the activity. You can even brainstorm how to make sand dunes.
Interesting Beaches
More people visit the beach than national parks here in the United States. Apparently, I’m in the minority. I prefer a hike through a forest. So, I’m just learning about the many interesting beaches around the world. Hey beach lovers, these beach facts might inspire your next vacation.
Some beaches will glow in the dark! The light comes from microorganisms in the water.
The Moeraki boulders in New Zealand look like giant dragons’ eggs on the beach.
Diamond Beach in Iceland gets its name from the icebergs on the beach. The chunks of ice look like gemstones on the black sand.
Indigenous people once grewsea gardens of clams and oysters along the coasts. Today Indigenous communities are working to restore sea gardens.
The longest beach in the world is in Brazil. It’s over 150 miles (241 km) long!
One giant sandcastle was 69 feet tall (21 meters)! It took 31 people to build.
Beaches are a great place to find fossils! Some beaches are even called fossil beaches because there are so many.
Coastlines are constantly changing! Waves, wind, and flooding all change the shape and size of beaches.
Activity: Write a story or draw a picture about a trip to one of these interesting beaches.
Animals
These beach animal facts focus on animals that have a strong relationship to the shorelines. You might even see these animals when and where you visit the beach. Want to know more about sea creatures? I share more ocean animal facts here.
Coral reefs protect shorelines from storms, waves, and flooding.
Seagulls can drink salt water. A special gland filters the salt. The salt then leaves through the gull’s nostrils!
Some species of penguins live on warm, sunny beaches.
A specialcolored oil in seabirds’ eyes lets them filter sunlight. That’s how they can look through the water.
A sea turtle will always return to the same beach to lay her eggs.
When baby sea turtles hatch from eggs, they work together to dig out of their sand-covered nest.
Crabs walk sideways because they move faster that way!
Activity: Try a nature scavenger hunt to look for beach animals, along with their homes, footprints, feathers, and more. While searching, talk about the connections between animals and their beach habitat.
Seashells
Seashells are so much more than a nature-based loose part. You can hear the ocean inside them! They are incredible little homes that sea creatures build. And a seashell’s shape and pattern can be insanely similar to other patterns in nature too.
Most seashells open to the right.
The largest seashell is the Australian trumpet. It can weigh as much as 40 lbs. (18 kg)!
Shellfish and snails build shells by secreting a mineral-filled liquid. The minerals harden, forming layers and layers of a seashell.
Australia has a famous shell beach. It’s made entirely of shells, no sand!
Activity: Offer kids a magnifying glass to explore the patterns on different types of seashells. Use open-ended questions to encourage children to share their observations and thoughts.
Beach Plants
Besides palm trees, plants don’t really seem too beachy. But native beach plants are super interesting because they’ve adapted to the beach environment. Children will enjoy comparing and contrasting beach plants to the familiar ones in their own yards.
Many beach plants are light green or even grey. This helps reflect the sun and keep them cool. Learn how other living things stay cool on our list of 60 summer facts.
Beach plants have deep roots. Deep roots anchor the plant when the sand moves or there is flooding.
There are flowering beach plants too. Their blooms add color to the coastlines!
You might not love the seaweed that washes up on the beach. But most of the earth’s oxygen comes from seaweed!
Like all plants, seaweed needs sunlight to survive. That’s why it grows close to the beach.
Activity: Check out the hands-on plant activities post. I share a fun, sensory-rich seaweed activity. It is a perfect match for the seaweed facts above.
Dangers at the Beach
Spending time at the beach is an incredible way to enjoy nature. But it should be fun and safe. As adults, we know that the beach has risks too. Sharing facts about the dangers at the beach with kids helps keep them safe.
Sunburn is one danger of the beach. The sunlight reflects off the sand, making it even easier for us to get burnt.
Sharks, jellyfish, and riptides are all dangers just off the shore.
Activity: Review basic beach safety tips with kids. Talk about obeying posted signs, being safe in the water, and the importance of sunscreen. Oh, and stay hydrated!
Beach Conservation
A goal of this website is to help families and educators raise planet-saving kids.
Plastic on the beach is dangerous. Once in the water, plastic breaks into micro pieces that sea animals accidentally eat.
There are laws to protect some beaches. This happens when a beach habitat, wildlife species, or natural feature needs extra protection.
Sea glass is broken glass that was smoothed by sand and waves. It may look pretty, but sea glass is litter that someone threw into the water.
Beach cleanups can be huge events. Volunteers work together to clean up millions of pounds of litter.
Activity: Talk about responsible choices that protect our oceans. It’s important not to litter or disturb wildlife and plants. But as parents and educators, we need to teach children about the biggest threats to our oceans. The fishing industry, the oil industry, and climate change are all human-created dangers.
Keep it developmentally-appropriate, but don’t be afraid to be real and honest too. End on a positive note by sharing ways humans are already making a difference.
I hope that somewhere in this list of beach facts, you found the perfect conversation starter for your child or classroom. Let these facts inspire play and promote ocean protection!
Hello, I'm Alysia (uh-lee-shuh), a developmental therapist for infants and toddlers with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Special Education. As the founder of Well Beings with Alysia, I'm demystifying child development for parents and early educators. Learn how to introduce the play-based activities, books, nature materials, and toys I use in classrooms and early intervention. Contact me: alysia@wellbeingswithalysia.com
