Beach School

Georgina Maw is Head of Education at Final Straw Foundation, a charity dedicated to the health of the UK’s coastlines, based in Hampshire, UK. She was a primary school teacher for 13 years, specialising in geography. Georgina uses her knowledge and love of coastlines to lead fun, inspiring and engaging beach school sessions for children along the south coast of England. The beach school sessions focus on developing a sense of stewardship in the children. Georgina is dedicated to educating and helping communities to reduce single use plastics which pollute our rivers, seas and beaches. When she’s not on the beach, she loves spending time in the great outdoors and taking her husband and two children along for the ride.

See the beach, the seaside and everything that relates to it in a new light with this informative book. This is one I would love to see used in classrooms around the country, it might be a Beach School but honestly I can see how easily the activities and suggestions can be adapted for anyone living inland and curious. I would have loved a book like this when I was at school, though it would have been helpful at home too. Not only does it have so much to share about beaches but it has plenty of interesting and fun activities to try too.

• INTRODUCTION 6Blue Health 8Safety 10Kit 12Choosing a beach 16Plastic pollution 18Recycled plastic mats 19Seashore Code 20Citizen Science Projects 21CHAPTER OPENER Wild Beach Survival Skills 22Tides 24Weather 26Measuring the wind 28Cloud spotting 30Make a kite 31Simple knots 32Shelter building 34Make a fire 40Map reading 42Using a compass 44Navigating by the stars 45Finding North 46Make your own telescope 48CHAPTER OPENER Beach Discovery 50Why learn about beaches 52Mindful activities 54Paddling & pebble fun 56Scavenger hunt 58Rockpooling 60Make your own aquascope 62Identifying flora and fauna 64Using identification keys 66Flora and fauna activities 68Make a flag 76Make a raft 78Journey sticks 80Bird watching 82CHAPTER OPENER Beach Games 84Limpet and seagull game 86Anemone game 87 Overfishing game 88Longshore drift 89Shrimp, Shrimp, Prawn 90Scavenging seagull game 91Echolocation game 92Maze 93Obstacle course 94Treasure hunt 95Food chain game 96Capture the flag 97Bucket relay & biggest hole 98Noughts and crosses & Kim’s game 99ABC ocean game & beach bingo 100CHAPTER OPENER Beach Crafting 102Sand Castles 104Beach sculptures 106Drawing & writing in the sand 108Family/self portrait 110Mobile 112Dream catcher 114Jewellery 116Beach wreaths 118Seaweed prints 120Shell & pebble art 122Seascape inspired art 124CHAPTER OPENER Storytelling 126Story sticks 128Story circle 130Poetry 132Sea shanty 134CHAPTER OPENER Positive Behaviour 136Why are these needed? 138Instruments & rhymes 139Follow my rhythm 140Tacky toes 142If you can hear my voice 144CHAPTER OPENER Wild food and picnic Ideas 146Health and safety 148Kit 150Safe storage 152Food ideas 154Foraging seaweed 156Index 158About the author and acknowledgements 160