What are higher tides?

Higher tides are when the water rises more than usual around the edges of land, like when you fill a bathtub to the top and then push your hand in, the water goes up higher near your hand.

Imagine the moon is like your big brother who loves to play with the ocean. Every day, he pushes on it a little bit, making the water rise, that's a regular tide. But sometimes, when the sun joins in and pushes too, like when they're both on the same side of Earth, the water gets pushed even higher. That’s a higher tide, just like if your big brother and your dad both pushed on the bathtub at the same time, the water would go up way more.

You can feel this when you're walking along the beach. On some days, the water comes right up to your knees, that’s a higher tide! It's like the ocean is saying, “Hey, I’m going to be extra high today!” And it does it because the moon and sun are working together, just like two friends helping each other push something bigger.