🦀 Quayside Crabbing with Children: A Simple Seaside Adventure

If you’re looking for a wholesome, low-cost family activity by the water, quayside crabbing might just be your new favourite tradition. Simple, fun, and full of excitement, it’s a perfect way to introduce children to the wonders of the coast — no boat required.

Whether you’re staying near a harbour, marina, or a seaside village, crabbing offers the chance to connect with nature, learn about marine life, and make unforgettable holiday memories.

🧺 What You’ll Need for Crabbing:

You don’t need much to get started, and you can usually pick up everything from a local seaside shop or bring it from home:

• Crabbing line or handline (with a weight and net bag)

• Bucket (preferably white and filled with sea water)

• Bait – Squid, bacon, sardines, or fish heads work brilliantly

• A small net (optional for scooping)

• Deck shoes or wellies

• Towel and hand wipes (it gets mucky!)

Two Ring Crab Net

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🌊 Where to Go

Crabbing is best done from a safe harbour wall, jetty, or quay, where the water is calm and there’s plenty of seaweed and shelter for crabs to hide.

Look for spots that are:

• Accessible and safe for children (with low walls or railings)

• Busy with sea life — signs of seaweed, rocks, or mussels are great indicators

• Not heavily trafficked by boats during crabbing hours

Popular UK spots include Wells-next-the-Sea, Padstow, Blakeney, Whitstable, and Looe, but many coastal villages will have hidden gems.

🧒 Tips for a Successful (and Kind) Crabbing Adventure:

• Don’t overfill the bucket – Too many crabs in one bucket can stress them. Stick to 3–4 at a time.

• Keep crabs cool – Shade your bucket and refresh with seawater regularly.

• Always handle gently – Use the back of the shell if you need to lift them, and avoid claws!

• Let them go – After 15–20 minutes, gently return crabs to the same spot you caught them from.

🐚 What Kids Will Learn

Crabbing isn’t just a giggle-worthy way to pass the time — it’s an opportunity to teach children about:

• Patience and observation

• Marine conservation and respecting wildlife

• Tides and sea habitats

• Simple science like food chains and animal behaviours

Plus, the joy of pulling up a crab-filled net never gets old!

🧡 Why We Love It

Crabbing is affordable, screen-free, and available to almost everyone who visits the seaside. It fosters curiosity, builds confidence, and makes for brilliant stories on the ride home.

Pack a picnic, bring a flask of tea, and turn it into a full morning or afternoon of family-friendly coastal fun.

📸 Share your catch (and release!)

Tag your crabby adventures @IDSCampingAndLeisure and use #LittleCampersCrabbing — we’d love to feature your quayside memories!