Early Childhood Week - Nurdle Hunt

Little hands, big impact: a family nurdle hunt for our youngest nature heroes

Tiny plastic pellets called nurdles are washing up on UAE shores, and our youngest nature heroes can help clear them! Join Connect with Nature this Early Childhood Week for a morning of stories, discovery and hands-on beach action at Saadiyat Island.

Nurdles are tiny plastic pellets, about the size of a lentil. They’re the raw material used to make almost every plastic product: around 600–1,200 nurdles are melted down to make a single plastic water bottle. They may look harmless, but nurdles are the second-biggest source of plastic litter on beaches worldwide (by weight), and sea turtles, fish and birds often mistake them for food. Every nurdle we pick up is one less that ends up inside a marine animal.

Agenda

• 8:00 am – Arrival & welcome
• 8:30 am – Story time: Nora the Nurdle & Tiko the Turtle
• 8:45 am – How to spot a nurdle
• 9:00 am – The Great Nurdle Hunt
• 10:00 am – Count, weigh, & log
• 10:15 am – Saadiyat Rotana activity
• 10:45 am – Wrap-up & family group photo

Who can join

• Children aged 4+. Every child must arrive with, and stay with, their parent or guardian throughout the event.
• To give as many families as possible a chance to take part, participation is limited to one child per family.
• Each registration must include the child’s name and details.

Before the event (required)

The accompanying parent or guardian must complete and sign the liability form, with their own name and details, before the event: https://form.jotform.com/251672330564051

Children whose guardian hasn’t signed the form won’t be able to take part.

Children without a signed form won’t be able to take part.

What to bring

• A reusable water bottle for each family member
• Sunscreen

What to wear

• Comfortable sports or casual clothes
• Sun hat
• Shoes suitable for walking on sand

Good to know: we collect nurdles mainly, little ones should not pick up glass, sharp objects or other hazardous litter.

Date: Friday, 20 November 2026

Time: 8:00 – 11:00 am

Location: Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi