How to make a rockpool viewer

Keep the kids busy on the beach this summer by helping them explore the wonderful world of rockpools. All you need is a plastic tub, clingfilm and gaffer tape ...

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Sarah McPherson

All illustrations by Alan Batley

Take a clean margarine or ice cream tub with a lid. Cut out the entire bottom panel, then the central section of the lid so just a frame remains.

Cover the sides of the tub with gaffer tape, or paint them with waterproof black paint. This will prevent the light from getting in and reflecting off the water.

Stretch cling film over the top of the tub, then replace the lid to hold it in position. You have now created a ‘window’. If the cling film tears, simply replace it.

Find a rockpool with stones, crevices and hiding spots. Turn over stones to see what’s underneath, and insert your viewer, window-down, for a clear view of the bottom.

Sarah McPherson

Features editor, BBC Wildlife Magazine

Sarah is features editor for BBC Wildlife Magazine. She has been on the title for more than a decade, and in previous lives has also been the magazine’s section editor, acting deputy editor and production editor. Sarah commissions scientists, writers and photographers from across the globe, and has worked with some of the world’s most renowned wildlife experts. She also regularly writes features - on topics ranging from birding in Colombia to the plight of wildlife rangers - and other content for both the magazine and the website.

How to make a rockpool viewer

Take a clean margarine or ice cream tub with a lid. Cut out the entire bottom panel, then the central section of the lid so just a frame remains.

Cover the sides of the tub with gaffer tape, or paint them with waterproof black paint. This will prevent the light from getting in and reflecting off the water.

Stretch cling film over the top of the tub, then replace the lid to hold it in position. You have now created a ‘window’. If the cling film tears, simply replace it.

Find a rockpool with stones, crevices and hiding spots. Turn over stones to see what’s underneath, and insert your viewer, window-down, for a clear view of the bottom.

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How to make a rockpool viewer

Take a clean margarine or ice cream tub with a lid. Cut out the entire bottom panel, then the central section of the lid so just a frame remains.

Cover the sides of the tub with gaffer tape, or paint them with waterproof black paint. This will prevent the light from getting in and reflecting off the water.

Stretch cling film over the top of the tub, then replace the lid to hold it in position. You have now created a ‘window’. If the cling film tears, simply replace it.

Find a rockpool with stones, crevices and hiding spots. Turn over stones to see what’s underneath, and insert your viewer, window-down, for a clear view of the bottom.

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