Science Activities That Rock
Does science play happen at your house? Many parents are unsure about doing science with kids but it can be as easy and simple as science fun with rocks.
Kids are fascinated with rocks and rock-hounds can be any age. We have to watch that little ones don’t put rocks in their mouth, but they love to hold them. Little fingers like the sensory experiences of the different textures of rocks. Soon kids will notice the variety of colors, shapes, and sizes of rocks.
Kids also like to do things with rocks. Lifting and carrying rocks is one way to learn about weight or mass. Big rocks are certainly heavier than small rocks, but even small rocks can be heavier than other things.
We had an unexpected science activity with some strawberries and rocks. In the package, there was one that was really big. When I picked it up, I pretended it weighed a ton and I could hardly lift it. That sparked the question, which is heavier (has more mass), the strawberry or the rock? So we got some rocks about the same size as the strawberries from the yard and tried. Big Sister compared them with one in each hand, but Little Sister just said the rock was ‘weally’ heavy, ‘cause it was a rock.
Throwing rocks never seems to get old, especially when there is water too. Kids are predicting each time that the rock will make a sound and listening for the confirmation with each plunk. You can show them how a rock will make ripples on the water that start small and get bigger and bigger. They can test this over and over.
With a magnifying glass kids can look at rocks to see the lines, shapes, and swirls.
On a walk, the kids discovered a rock with a hole in it so big we could see it without one. We all wondered what had made the hole and it was a topic of conversation as soon as we got home.
Turning a rock over to see what’s underneath can reveal even more mysteries…
Can some science fun with rocks be a play-of-the-day for your child?
For more fun that rocks, here’s the link to 123kindergarten’s Pinterest Rock Board.