Gathering seashells is fun, but it's also a wonderful educational experience for your children. (Not to mention a great source for decorating your home and using in crafts.) Here are some tips to help you navigate the shores of your local beach and pick some winning specimens:

1. Collect many different colors and shapes of seashells.
2. Know some identification skills. Seashells are a tremendously vast species. There are hundreds of varieties found around the world. Log on to Topseashells.com and study up on the many types of seashells.
3. Conus and Calliotectum are the most popular shells you will see at the beach, but collect pretty stones, too.
4. Use a plastic strainer to get the sand off the shells while you collect them.
5. Select a beach that is not too crowded to collect shells.
6. Visit the beach early or later in the day to get the best pick of shells.