A Gentle Introduction to Pond Dipping with Children

Why pond dipping works so well with children

There are few better introductions to British wildlife than a net in a shallow margin on a mild afternoon. You do not need a car full of equipment, a long walk or any particular weather. A village pond, a quiet stream edge or even a well-established garden pond will do, and within a minute or two of your first gentle sweep something will be wriggling in the net. Children who lose interest on a long walk become completely absorbed when they can see what lives under the surface. The whole exercise also teaches something quietly important: that wild creatures are borrowed for a few minutes, not collected.

The kit: simple, soft and white

Everything you need fits in one bag, and the three essentials matter more than any gadget.

• A white tray. A shallow white plastic tray, an old ice cream tub or a washing-up bowl all work well. The white background stops small creatures blending into dark plastic and makes movement obvious at a glance. Add only three or four centimetres of pond water — any deeper and you are peering into a murky puddle.
• A soft net. Look for a fine-mesh net with a soft bag and a rounded frame. Stiff, sharp-rimmed nets squash delicate larvae and tear up weed. A long handle is a bonus, as it keeps small feet further from the edge.
• A magnifying glass. A simple hand lens of four to ten times magnification is plenty. It turns a speck into a creature with eyes, legs and a way of moving.
• A few extras. Wellies, a towel, a plastic spoon or pipette for moving things without fingers, and a small lidded pot for a brief close look. Nothing should stay in the pot for longer than a minute or two.

Choosing a spot and working the net

Head for the shallow margin, roughly ten to twenty centimetres deep, especially near reeds, iris roots or under overhanging grass. This is where the life is. Deep water and deep mud are hard work and unnecessary.

Kneel or crouch at the edge rather than leaning out, and keep an adult between the child and the water, or hold a hand throughout. Sweep the net through the water in a slow figure of eight for a metre or so, just above the bottom. Do not scrape the bed hard, or you will spend the rest of the afternoon staring at mud. Lift the net, turn the bag gently inside out over the tray, and rinse it in the tray water rather than flicking creatures through the air.

What you might find in a British pond or stream

The variety is startling once you slow down and look properly. In still water, expect pond skaters skating on the surface, water boatmen rowing about, and backswimmers hanging upside down. Freshwater shrimp, water slaters and hog lice often come up in the weed, along with ramshorn and pond snails, and the occasional leech, which children tend to find either fascinating or appalling.

Deeper in the weed you may find damselfly and dragonfly nymphs, which are miniature predators worth watching in the tray. In streams, look for mayfly and caddisfly nymphs — the caddis often built into little cases of sand, twigs or leaves — plus three-spined sticklebacks, minnows and bullhead. Tadpoles, smooth newts and palmate newts are seasonal highlights. Great crested newts are protected by law, so admire them where they sit and put them straight back without handling.

Wet hands and a gentle return

This is the part worth teaching children properly, because it makes the difference between a creature that survives the encounter and one that does not.

Keep your hands wet throughout. Amphibian skin is permeable and easily damaged by dry hands, sunscreen and insect repellent. Dip your hands in the tray water before touching anything, and keep a small pot of pond water nearby to redip. Better still, view newts and tadpoles in the tray and never handle them at all. If you must move something, use a plastic spoon or pipette, and never lift a creature by a tail or a leg.

Keep the tray in the shade, work quickly, and return every creature within a few minutes. Tip the tray close to the water's surface and let things swim out on their own; use a soft net or spoon for stragglers. Always return wildlife to the exact spot you took it from. Different parts of a pond are different habitats, and moving creatures between sites risks spreading disease and invasive species.

Leaving the pond better than you found it

Before you pack up, check the net, the tray and the pot for anything still clinging on. Rinse and dry your nets and wellies thoroughly between visits, and never carry water, weed or mud from one pond to another — this is how problems spread between sites.

Take all litter home, including ring pulls and plastic loops, which trap wildlife. Seek permission before dipping anywhere private, and follow any restrictions at nature reserves, where pond dipping may be limited to protect sensitive species.

Done gently, pond dipping becomes a habit for life. Children who have watched a dragonfly nymph under a lens tend to grow into adults who notice the river at the end of the lane — and who look after it.