Rock hounding with kids: Simple gear
Preparation is key to a successful rock hounding adventure with kids. Plan right so that everyone (even mom) has a good time. When we go exploring, I bring a rock hounding kit for each of my children – it’s never fun to have kids fighting over who gets to use the cool tool. So, I avoid that problem by bringing plenty of equipment to go around. I included the following items in my kid-friendly rock hounding kit:
Safety goggles. I bought mine at Wal-Mart for less than $2. They aren’t necessary if all you are going to do is sift through sand. They are a must, however, if you plan to chip at the rocks. Plus, the goggles make for great pictures!
Rock hammer. You don’t need a special hammer. I bought each child a small, inexpensive hammer. Mine have rubber grip handles. I have heard the tip that you should spray-paint your hammers a fluorescent color (e.g., pink, orange, red) so that you won’t lose it on the mountain. I wish I had done this; it was a pain to look for brown hammers on brown rocks after they had been set down somewhere.
Colander. Bring an inexpensive, flat, and square colander for each child. It’s worth an extra dollar or two to let each child be able to sift and find treasures without waiting a turn.
Bag. We brought grocery store bags for each child to collect her treasures in. I plan next time to have my kids paint their own canvas treasure bag for collecting rocks (small, inexpensive, blank canvas bags can be found at any craft store). Kids can color on the bags with fabric pens or use puffy paint or acrylic paint to decorate their bags (be sure to put a piece of heavy cardstock or cardboard in center of bag while painting so that paint doesn’t bleed through).
Treasure box. I gave each child a small, clear fishing tackle box (about $1) for preserving their favorite rock finds. The rocks in here have been cleaned and labeled. The clear boxes can be decorated with paint pens or magic markers. My “princess” daughter also keeps some of her Utah topaz in a small wooden treasure box she painted for her most treasured finds.
MOM’S ROCK HOUNDING KIT:
Band-Aids/first-aid. Always carry first-aid items and plenty of Band-Aids. You never know when you will need them. Unless, of course, you forgot to bring them – then, you can count on needing them!
Rocks book. I carry a pocket-size Rocks and Minerals book in my car. As we are driving through mountains, valleys, natural formations or other areas, we can look up simple explanations for the geology we are seeing.
Sunscreen, water, sunglasses, snacks. Don’t forget water and snacks (two musts for any adventure with kids!).
For more ideas on rock hounding with kids see the following Web sites:
