Rock Activity for Kids

We are still in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, and are working to keep our kids engaged, active, and getting fresh air in a way that is responsible and safe. As always, during the COVID-19 pandemic, be sure to check in with your state guidelines to be sure you are following rules and acting responsibly. Remind your little ones to give others at least 6 feet of space when outside, to keep hands away from their face, and to wash hands throughly after any outing. It takes extra effort to educate, activate, and be the sole source of social engagement for our kids- but we are up for the challenge!

We’re all pulling triple duty in our homes, aren’t we? Childcare, education, WORK, and fulfilling our children’s social needs. It’s a lot right now! I’ve been trying to plan some activities for our kids that “tick” a few of their boxes at once. Exercise, fresh air (of course), but also trying to mix in some education, and find a way to help them feel connected to others. This is one of those “make something from nothing” types of plans.

Awaken Their Senses:

Before leaving the house to go look for rocks, we spent a little time learning about sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.  This is a very basic YouTube video that introduces the idea of different rocks. We also spent a little time looking at different types of sedimentary, igneous, or metaphoric rocks online, to help Huck learn some of the identifying characteristics of each. This little quiz helped us remember what we learned. I’m not a teacher- but Huck was super interested, and was excited to get out and look on his own!

Hit The Trail

Luckily, rocks are pretty much everywhere. We rode our scooters to a little trail in our neighborhood. We brought an old toothbrush and a magnifying glass to really hunker down and let ourselves be curious for a couple of hours. There is no need to rush this part of the day. Take your time and explore. We identified lots of sedimentary rocks on the hog’s back behind our neighborhood. Knowing that I would be carrying the majority of the rocks, I encouraged Huck to wait until we got closer to home for the bulk of his collecting. Huck also found some metamorphic rocks in our front yard (these were the easiest to paint).

Get Creative

Look, I’m no Martha Stewart. But like most moms, I have a craft drawer with some extra craft paint. We spent an hour or so in the backyard painting bugs on our rocks. Nothing elaborate (*see “I’m no Martha Stewart”), but we painted some basic bright, happy, and fun designs.

Share the Joy

Right now neighborhood walks are ALL THE RAGE. We see families outside walking around throughout the day. On our evening walk, Huck left a few rocks on our favorite walking path, hoping to make somebody else smile. He is looking forward to heading back tomorrow to see if it is still there!