National Sea Monkey Day
Sea monkeys, a type of brine shrimp, make a popular children’s pet that you can order, hatch, and raise at home, which helps kids learn responsibility.
Drive May sales of sea monkey kits to parents seeking educational, low-maintenance first pets that teach kids responsibility and STEM concepts.
- Nostalgic unboxing: 'Remember sea monkeys? Introduce your kids to the classic pet that teaches responsibility'
- STEM angle: 'Sea monkeys in space—celebrate the science of life with a hands-on kit'
- First-pet guide: 'Easy care, big lessons—why sea monkeys are the perfect starter pet for kids'
- Gift-with-purpose: 'Give the gift of wonder and responsibility this May'
The history of sea monkeys starts, oddly enough, with ant farms. Milton Levine had popularized the idea of Ant-farm kits in 1956 and, presumably inspired by the success of his idea, Harold von Braunhut invented the aquatic equivalent with brine shrimp.
It was really ingenious looking back on it, and ultimately he had to work with a marine biologist to really bring it all together. With just a small packet of minerals and an aquarium, you’d suddenly have a place rich with everything your brine shrimp needed to survive.
So why sea monkeys? Because who was going to buy brine shrimp? It was all a good bit of marketing, though the name didn’t come about for nearly 5 years. They were originally called “instant life,” referencing their “just add water” nature.
But when the resemblance of their tails to monkeys’ tails was noted by fans, he changed it to ‘Sea-Monkeys,’ and so it’s been ever since!
The marketing was amazing too! 3.2 million pages of comic book advertising a year, and the money just flowed in the door. So what are Sea Monkeys exactly? They’re clever mad scientists, really.
Sea Monkeys don’t (or didn’t) exist in nature before they were created in a lab by hybridization. They’re known as Artemia NYOS (New York Ocean Science) and go through anhydrobiosis, or hibernation, when they are dried out. Then, with the right mixture of water and nutrients, they can spring right back into life!
Acquire Some Sea Monkeys
If you love the idea of celebrating National Sea Monkey Day by buying yourself a set of Sea Monkeys to hatch and care for, you might be wondering where you can buy them. The good news is that today you can order Sea Monkeys online, as well as buying them from toy stores. Sea Monkeys are available to buy online and have shipped directly to your home.
Teach the Kids
National Sea Monkey Day can also be used as an opportunity to educate children on the importance of caring for ‘pets’ properly and teach them about the responsibility that comes with ‘pet’ ownership. Sea Monkeys make great first pets as they’re easy to care for and look after but still require lots of attention. Why not celebrate National Sea Monkey Day by educating your children more about ‘pet’ care? These little guys have orbited the earth and even gone to the moon, telling us a lot about how life survives in space. So have your own amazing Sea-Monkey kit by buying some today!