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• strong bag or two
• old newspaper
• empty egg cartons
• field guide for rocks and minerals (optional)

1. Hunt for rocks. There are many approaches to rock collecting; they’re all a great start to having fun and learning. Here are some possible ideas to guide your child as he or she begins to collect rocks and sort them:
• Focus on color. Search for rocks that are different colors. How many shades of brown can you find? Gray? Are any of the rocks multi-colored? Are any of them shiny?
• Focus on shape. Look for rocks that are interesting shapes: round, flat, shaped like an arrowhead, a triangle, a heart, etc. Also look for rocks that are different sizes.
• Focus on texture. Try to find rocks that feel different to the touch. Find smooth rocks, rough rocks, jagged rocks, etc.
2. Organize your collection. Back at home, empty your treasures onto some newspaper. Wash the dirty rocks so you can see them more clearly. Then have your child sort them into categories. Egg cartons are great ways to organize and display your collection.

Activity: Susan Goodman

 

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