What is Neap tides?

Neap tides are when the ocean doesn’t go as high or as low as usual, it’s like a calm day at the beach instead of a busy one.

Imagine you and your friend are pulling on opposite ends of a jump rope. When both of you pull at the same time, the rope goes up and down really strongly, that's like high tide. But when only one of you is pulling, the rope moves gently, that’s like neap tides, when the ocean isn’t as active.

The moon pulls on Earth’s oceans to make tides happen. Sometimes the sun helps the moon out, making the tides bigger, those are called spring tides. But when the sun and moon are working in different directions, their pull cancels each other a little bit, so the tides aren’t as big, that’s neap tides.

Think about it like this: If you're on a swing and your friend pushes you from behind, you go higher. But if they push you from the front while you’re coming down, you don’t go as high, that’s neap tides in action! Neap tides are when the ocean doesn’t go as high or as low as usual, it’s like a calm day at the beach instead of a busy one.

Imagine you and your friend are pulling on opposite ends of a jump rope. When both of you pull at the same time, the rope goes up and down really strongly, that's like high tide. But when only one of you is pulling, the rope moves gently, that’s like neap tides, when the ocean isn’t as active.

The moon pulls on Earth’s oceans to make tides happen. Sometimes the sun helps the moon out, making the tides bigger, those are called spring tides. But when the sun and moon are working in different directions, their pull cancels each other a little bit, so the tides aren’t as big, that’s neap tides.