All children possess an innate curiosity about how the world works and what creates the natural environment around them. Gifts that motivate this kind of curiosity can create a solid foundation for future interest in Earth science subjects. Likewise, connecting lessons learned in school with Earth science activities can lead to better grades in the sometimes dreaded math and science subjects.
Some examples of gifts that can introduce children to Earth science activities include:
- Rock and mineral kits
- Geology field guides
- Rock tumblers
Rock and Mineral Kits
There are many activity kits aimed at introducing kids to different types of rocks and minerals found in nature. A company called Geocentral produces many of these activity kits which can be purchased through the online store Amazon.com. One such kit is called "Break Your Own Geodes" and is recommended for children five years and older. This kit allows children to break open geodes to enjoy the beautiful crystal formations found inside. It also includes information on geode formation and how to break the geodes safely.
Another kit produced by Geocentral, which can also be found on Amazon.com, is called "Rock and Crystal Excavation Kit" and is also recommended from children ages five years and older. This kit comes with a variety of rocks and minerals that are buried within a block of gypsum sand plaster. Children can easily excavate the rocks and minerals from the plaster and identify them with the accompanying identification guide.
Geology Field Guides for Children
Teaching children about rocks and minerals through hands-on activities is extremely easy because of the availability of various rocks and minerals right outside. Unless you are in a national park or other protected area, feel free to bring specimens home for collection and further discussion. One very useful resource to have when studying rocks and minerals is a rock and mineral guide. Most rock and mineral guides available are more like textbooks and are written for the early-career geologist, but a few guides have been written specifically to teach children about rocks and minerals. One such guide is titled "Looking at Rocks" (Jennifer Dussling; Grosset and Dunlap Publisher) and is written for pre-school age children.
Older children ages four to eight will enjoy the book "Eye Wonder Rocks and Minerals" (DK Publishing). This full-color 48 page book will introduce the young geologist to various types of rocks and minerals and how to identify them out in the field. The guide also has interesting facts such as the ancient use of some rocks. Middle-school aged children will enjoy the book "Experiments with Rocks and Minerals" (Salvatore Tucci; Children's Press Publisher). This book includes a glossary and index, plus a very useful section listing references on the internet and other books to find more information.
Rock Tumbler
Rock tumblers are extremely popular among professional and amateur geologists and are very useful in perfecting a rock and mineral collection. Any child who likes to collect rocks and minerals, especially for display, should own a rock tumbler. Rock tumblers duplicate nature's erosion process by "tumbling" rocks in a small container with sand and grit. The rocks get polished in a few days or hours in these tumblers as opposed to years in nature.
For beginner and young tumblers, a simple model such as the Discovery Rock Tumbler (Discovery) is appropriate. This tumbler comes with a half pound of rough rocks to polish, polishing powder and a guide on how to find polish-worthy rocks outside. For older children or more experienced young geologists, more robust and heavier models such as the Model T Kit Rock Tumbler (Tru-square Metal Products) are more appropriate.
Alexandra Matiella Novak - With a PhD in Geology and expertise in science education, Alexandra is passionate about increasing the public's Earth science literacy.
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