Saving Sand dollars and Horseshoe crabs

This Spring we spent some time at our condo on the beach at St. Simons Island.

We found one!

I took pictures of how to find sand dollars and olive shells buried under the sand so that you can find time the next time you go. 

This is the track the the olive shell leaves on the sand.  The olive is a very shinny shell and very beautiful!

 Here is the sand dollar track on the sand.  Always throw them back in!

washing the sand dollar enjoy it and then throw it back in!

digging the sand dollar

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I thought this was 2 conchs in the sand, instead found a horseshoe crab buried in the sand.

That day was a treasure for discoveries!  We found 8 other horseshoe crabs on a sandbar and we thought they would die in the sun so we dug them up and carried them to the water.

We also found 1/4 of a leatherback turtle washed up on the sand that was obviously hit by a boat.  It was so sad.  We called the DNR and they came and took it for research.

Every time we go to St. Simons is a wonderful time!  

When we have good weather!

Does your child love going underwater?

We are all getting ready for a fun Summer and swimming is a big part of it.

I made this video last year about my grandchildren as we swam underwater together. 


I was a swimming teacher for so long - I guess a swimming teacher is always a swimming teacher.  I am so passionate that when I am in any pool, I try to teach any child that is around me.  Some parents let me, some give me dirty looks.  My daughters always ask those parents to forgive me because I can't help myself!

This weekend, my (just) 4 year old granddaughter in the video who has been going to the pool with me all winter and did fine yesterday, swallowed some water at her other grandparent's pool.  My daughter called me in a panic because now she won't even go back in the water.   Well, I'm not there and they said that they tried all the games that we've done before.  I even talked with her on facetime and she sadly looked at me and said "I don't know" when I asked her why she didn't want to swim.  It's hard when they swallow water.  

I remember my dad throwing me in the pool when I was 4...

What do you think???

It's not easy to do it yourself because you think that you might hurt your child or if you do it wrong your child will never like the water - but it's worth the risk! YOU can benefit from the wonderful experiences in the water and you are teaching your child a life skill.

Here is a more recent video of my newest grandson, 5 month Parker, learning to enjoy underwater.