Rock Hunt

This is one of my daughter’s favorite activities. When we first started doing this, she would wait by the door saying, “rock! rock!” and I knew exactly what she wanted to do. I am happy every single time that she wants to go outside. Any activity that inspires movement and exploration is something that I support! I like to go to the nature center near our home because they have a great assortment of rocks. In summer, we like to go to the (lake) beach near our home and collect rocks there. The rocks on the beach are extremely smooth and great to save for future activities, such as rock decorating. We keep a bowl full of rocks in our house, showcasing our great discoveries.

What you need:

A bag or container to hold rocks – I recommend using a reusable shopping bag to collect the rocks because they are durable and easy to clean out.

Steps:

These instruction are pretty cut and dry – go find some rocks! This can be done anywhere that there are rocks but I recommend switching up your scenery for this activity.

Go to a nearby park or somewhere with a path.

Explain to your child that you are hunting for rocks and let them see you put some in the bag.

Encourage them to find some of their own, and once they do, discuss the shape, texture, weight and color of each rock. I try to praise each discovery in a specific way; for example: “Great job finding that smooth rock!” or “I am impressed at how easily you picked up that big rock.”

Pick up random items and ask if they are rocks and if they belong in the rock bag. If your toddler is not old enough to answer, then simply answer for them and do not put the item in the bag if they are not rocks.

If they are younger, they might need a gentle reminder that these outside things stay outside of their mouths! Children love to hunt for anything outside. It does not have to be rocks. One day we went rock hunting and my daughter decided that she was way more interested in collecting sticks. That is okay too. The point of this activity is more to get your toddlers outside and interacting with their outdoor environment than performing a specific task.