Children weren’t the smallest creatures to be found at Swifts Neck Beach in Wareham yesterday morning -- though they were the most curious.

A small group of children and their parents gathered to take part in the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s Itty Bitty Bay Explorers program, headed by the organization’s Community Engagement Coordinator, Sarah Gossett. The outing, which focused on teaching young children a little bit about salt marsh ecosystems, allowed the children to wade out into low tide to search for shells and small creatures.

Mandy Hutchinson brought her son Mason, 3, to the beach. Hutchinson said her family had just moved into town recently, and finds the children’s programs the Buzzards Bay Coalition a good way to introduce Mason to new friends, and teach him something new.

“Sarah is very informative, and she does a really good job of talking to the kids so they understand what’s going on, and explaining what we’re doing,” said Hutchinson. “And Mason just has a great time doing it.”

Sydney Benard, 4, who came with mother Kelly Benard and brother Sam, 2, said she was having a good time. She found some snails, but wasn’t going to take them home: “They were a little thirsty, so I threw them back.”

After about 45 minutes, the adults rounded up the children for a small show-and-tell, in which the children got to show off some of their findings. Among the treasures found were a large welk shell, a razor clam shell, tiny living clams, and a scallop shell.

Gossett gave a few details about each, and passed around the findings for the children to see. She said she believes it is important to start teaching children about nature at a young age.

“I think it’s introducing these children to the outdoors in their backyard and in their environment,” said Gossett, of the program. “It’s instilling at a young age a love and appreciation for the natural world around them.”