The life cycle of a sand dollar is fascinating and we’re learning about them today. Too, look at my page Seashore Beach Watching Unit Study and Seashore Lapbook for more fun ideas
Too, we’re making a fun hydro dipped sand dollar. It makes for a cool craft to learn about our echinoderm.
And part of the echinoderm group besides sand dollars are sea urchins and starfish.
This is the awesome life story of a sand dollar—from a tiny egg to the beautiful shell you find in the sand.
Sand dollars have a flat, round shape and burrow into sandy seafloors.
So, I’m sharing facts of the sand dollar life cycle, some activities and then sharing a hands-on craft.
COOL ECHINODERMS BOOKS FOR KIDS
First, look at some of these books to use alongside your study.
I try to find living books when possible but we love reference books too.
11 Books About Fascinating Echinoderms Marine Animals
This group of animals sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, brittle stars, star fish and crinoids. All of these are marine animals with radial symmetry in their body shapes.
What would you see if you sat at the edge of a tidepool, looked into the water and watched the changes taking place in this little world? What life would you discover there? In a charming hand-sized book, Anne Hunter illustrates the creatures that live in and around a tidepool, and describes each animal's characteristics and habits. The gorgeous artwork and simple sense of wonder will inspire children to explore their environment. Fans of Hunter’s two books, WHAT'S IN THE POND? and WHAT'S UNDER THE LOG? will want to add this new title to their collection.
Sand Dollars by the Seashore is a charming and educational poem for children about the wonders of the beach and the importance of respecting nature. It encourages young readers to explore the shoreline and discover its beauty while learning the difference between living sand dollars and cherishing their shell souvenirs as a special gift from the sea. Perfect for a day at the beach or a bedtime read, Sand Dollars by the Seashore is sure to delight and inspire young imaginations.
Did you know that sea stars pump water instead of blood through their systems? Although commonly called starfish, these life forms are not fish! Instead, they are part of a group containing other animals like sea urchins and sand dollars. Sea stars are hardy animals that can grow new limbs and open clam shells. In this interesting title, students will enjoy learning more about these shining ocean stars!
Sea urchins look like fireworks exploding underwater. The spines that create their unusual appearance do have a purpose: they protect the tiny animals from dangerous predators. In this title, sea urchins of all shapes, sizes, and colors are on display for early readers!
Familiar burgess characters Danny Meadow Mouse, Jimmy Skunk, and Reddy Fox explore every nook and cranny of the shoreline and learn first hand about the habits and habitats of spider crabs, sea cucumbers, sand eels, and that strangest of little fishes — the sea horse.Veteran storyteller and nature lover Thornton W. Burgess provides fascinating information to young readers as he describes coastal areas along the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way he weaves the area's many life forms into an entertaining tale that's also an illustrated guide to the seashore's natural history.
While walking on the shore of the Sea of Cortez a man has a remarkable dialog with the sea. Using the naturally occurring dove like structures found in sand dollars, the sea relates its past wars with the sun, the wind, the mountains, and the moon and addresses its ongoing war with man. The sea's explanation of the need for the fifth dove is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression with readers of all ages.
Following the wild success of The Big Book of Bugs and The Big Book of Beasts, The Big Book of the Blue is the third installment in Yuval Zommer’s beloved series. Alongside everything the young oceanographer needs to know, Zommer’s charming illustrations bring to life some of the slipperiest, scaliest, strangest, and most monstrous underwater animals.
The book opens by explaining how different types of animals are able to breathe and survive underwater, and the different families to which they belong. Subsequent pages are dedicated to specific creatures, including sea turtles, whales, sharks, stingrays, and seahorses, and show varied life in specific habitats, such as a coral reef or deep sea bed. The Big Book of the Blue also explores the underwater world thematically, looking at animals in danger, learning how to spot creatures at the beach, and discovering how to do our part to save sea life. Beautiful and filled with fascinating facts, young, curious readers won’t be able to tear their eyes away from the page.
This stunning new offering from the Welcome to the Museum series guides readers around the world's oceans, from sandy shorelines to the darkest depths. Learn about the ocean’s most fascinating animals, including giant whale sharks, tiny tropical fish, and majestic manatees, among many others. With expert text by marine biologist Loveday Trinick and stunning illustrations by Teagan White, travel the world from frozen Arctic seas to shimmering coral reefs, and learn why it is so important that we protect our oceans.
Follow Rothman’s inquisitive mind and perceptive eye along shorelines, across the open ocean, and below the waves for an artistic exploration of the watery universe. Through her drawings, discover how the world’s oceans formed, why the sea is salty, and the forces behind oceanic phenomena such as rogue waves. Colorful anatomical profiles of sea creatures from crustacean to cetacean, surveys of seafaring vessels and lighthouses, and the impact of plastic and warming water temperatures are just part of this compendium of curiosities that will entertain and educate readers of all ages.
In the city of Tarian, where mastery over the tides is essential for the city’s very existence, an unforeseen and unthinkable thing has happened. The Master of Tides—Tarian’s guardian for over seven hundred years—has died, and the Sand Coin, the object that gives the Master his power, has vanished into the shadows.
With the Sand Coin missing and Tarian under threat from an impending cataclysmic event, Cora, a spirited orphan girl laboring in the city’s Water Works, embarks on a desperate quest to save her city.
Along with Will, her charming yet unwelcome companion, Cora discovers that to find the Sand Coin, she must join the magical Wandering Circus. But who in this mysterious and dangerous troupe of young performers can she trust? And how far will Cora have to travel with the circus in order to bring the Sand Coin home?
Starfish have arms, but no legs. They have feet, but no toes. Starfish aren't fish, but they are living animals. In this Let's-Read-and-Find-Out classic, learn how starfish move, eat, and grow.
This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It's a Level 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores introductory concepts perfect for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series are:
- hands-on and visual
Now, look at some of these activities to pair with the life cycle of a sand dollar.
SAND DOLLAR ACTIVITIES & ECHINODERMS CRAFTS
- Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft
- Salt Dough Starfish Craft
- DIY Felt Sand Dollars – Mermaid Money
- DIY Baking Soda Dough Starfish Decor
- Sea Urchin Kids Craft
Then, look at these fun facts about a sand dollar life cycle.
LIFE CYCLE OF A SAND DOLLAR FACTS
- Living sand dollars are usually dark purple or black.
- The life cycle begins with external fertilization.
- Male and female sand dollars release sperm and eggs into the water.
- Currents must carry the gametes together where fertilization occurs in the water.
- Once fertilized, the egg develops into a free-swimming larva.
- The larva is called a pluteus and it drifts in the water feeding on plankton.
- After several weeks of growing, the sand dollar larva goes through metamorphosis.
- It changes shape completely and sinks to the ocean floor.
- Often it burrows just beneath the surface.
- It starts to develop a flattened body and covering of tiny spines.
- Adult sand dollars are fully developed, measuring up to 3–4 inches in diameter.
- They live in sandy or muddy ocean bottoms, feeding by filtering particles from the water or sand.
- Sand dollars can live up to a decade.
- When a sand dollar dies, its spines fall off, leaving behind the white skeleton—called a test that we find along the beach.
When you find your next sand dollar remember it is the remains of a creature with a complex life story.
Finally, look at this cool hydro dipped sand dollar craft.
HOW TO MAKE A HYDRO DIPPED SAND DOLLAR
We wanted to make it look like it would if it was alive and since they have a dark purple-ish color, we chose to use this color.
Too, we used a fun technique called hydro dip. I’ll show how easy it is. Such a complicated word for something to dunk in water.
Your kids will love it.
Next, look at this easy list of supplies:
- Sand dollars ( real or fake)
- Nail polish – purple/ purplish red Paper towels
- Plastic container (disposable recommended) Water
- Tongs (optional)
Gather all the supplies needed to make hydro dipped sand dollars.
Add water to a disposable plastic container.
Pour some nail polish from each color into the water.
Grab the sand dollar with tongs (if using) and slowly dip the sand dollar into the nail polish water.
Carefully bring the sand dollar out of the water and place it onto the paper towel to dry.
Repeat above steps until all sand dollars have been dipped.
Be sure you research ahead of time what color sand dollars are when alive.
*After each sand dollar is dipped, more nail polish may need to be added.
