What You Need

• Apron or play clothes
• Seashells
• Tub of sudsy water
• Scrub brush or old tooth brush
• Towel and sponge
• Paper and writing materials

How to Do this Activity

Your child might get wet while doing this activity, so help him put on an apron or play clothes before you get started. Set up a tub of sudsy water close to your child and give him a scrub brush and seashells. Then, clean the shells together and talk about all the different colors, shapes, and sizes. Once they’re all clean, work with your child to make a chart that shows their attributes and research their names at www.seashells.org.

What Your Child Learns

Through the process of cleaning the seashells, your child slows down, observing each shell's shape, color, texture and aesthetic beauty. Your child notices similarities and differences in the shells and will probably have questions about the animals who lived in them. Researching and writing the names of the shells further engages your child.