Eastham, Cape Cod, a bay-side beach at low tide
Ages and Grades: 6 (rising 2nd grade) and 4 (Pre-K)
Exploring the shallow bay side beach at low tide reveals tidal pools and shallow waters whcih are teeming with life. Every year then and now we walk these beaches and look for hermit crabs, moon snails, various larger crabs, and anything else we stumble upon.
The only real concern is not over-stressing the hermit crabs by overcrowding. They start to fight if in too close quarters in a bucket or in a child-made pool. When it gets really bad they shed their shells. I have always taught my kids to be respectful and to not hurt them so sometimes their captured hermit crabs spend just a short while in the bucket before they are set free in a large space where they can return to a safer environment. They now watch for signs of stress to determine how long they can keep them.
Kids need to learn boundaries. I have told them the goal with catching them is never to do things that make them die and they agree that's a reasonable thing. Left to their own devices, out of sheer ignorance, kids sometimes don't realize what really is happening when they think they are just having fun catching hermit crabs. Kids can learn to see the world through other perspectives if you talk to them about it. I'm not a parent who just yells, "Let them go!". I explain why it's time to let them go and make it a teachable moment. They then comply without protest because they don't want them to be harmed.
