Kids Beach Scavenger Hunt

Challenge your kids to find starfish, egg casings, sea glass, sand dollars, coral, sharks’ teeth, and more while exploring southwest Florida’s white sandy beaches. They will enjoy exploring the coastal environment and delight in having found a natural treasure to take home. And, who doesn’t love beach combing?

Shelling on the beaches of Marco Island rival that of Sanibel Island, Captiva, and other popular shelling spots on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Prehistoric sharks’ teeth of all types and sizes can often be found washed up on beaches in Venice, Florida (known as the “Shark Tooth Capital of the World”). Fossilized shark teeth are distinctly triangular with one long point and two shorter points at the thicker base.

MustDo.com | Look at the shark teeth he found at Caspersen Beach Venice, Florida! Photo by Debi Pittman Wilkey. — Photo credit Debi Pittman Wilkey

MustDo.com | Kids beach scavenger hunt, — Photo credit Debi Pittman Wilkey

Scavenger Hunt List Suggestions:

Three different kinds of shells

A feather

A unique piece of driftwood

A creature’s home (crab holes are a good one)

Something swimming in the water. What is it?

A whole sand dollar

A starfish

A piece of seaweed

A piece of coral

Three pieces of trash

A piece of sea glass

An egg casing

An animal track in the sand. What type of animal made the track?

Count how many waves crash into shore in one minute

How many paces wide is the beach?

Wade into the water. Time how long it takes for your feet to dry

Find something red

Young boy holding a sand dollar while standing in the water at with blue sky and clouds in background. — Shutterstock

One important caution: Make sure the shells your kids collect are not live (inhabited). Aside from the surprise you’ll get back home, it’s illegal to remove living shells from the beaches. This includes sand dollars, starfish, and sea urchins.

Written by: Nita Ettinger

Nita Ettinger is Co-publisher for Siesta Publications Inc. and the Editor in Chief for Must Do Visitor Guides. Must Do Visitor Guides provides Southwest Florida visitor information through printed magazines and the website MustDo.com. Must Do magazines are published bi-annually and are available at no cost in Sarasota, Lee, and Collier County Chamber of Commerce, visitor information centers, select Southwest Florida hotels, and wherever free publications can be found.