Showerthought: Our family walks got interesting when we started picking up rocks

My kids always got bored on our weekend hikes, and it was a drag. So I decided to try something simple and brought along a basic rock guide from the library. We made a game out of spotting different rocks, like looking for quartz bits in the gravel or identifying basalt on the trail. My youngest got really into it and now carries a little pouch for her finds. Last time, she found a piece of chert and insisted we look up how it forms. It's turned our outings into mini geology lessons without any fuss. We all have more fun, and I get to share my old rock hobby with them.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_beth1mo ago

Tried this and almost gave my kid permanent shoulder issues. My seven year old got so into it he started filling his little backpack with every granite chunk he found. I didn't notice until we were halfway home and he was walking sideways. Had to talk him out of dragging a landscaping stone out of someone's yard last week. My driveway now looks like a quarry.

gibson.sean26d ago

Doubt the shoulder damage is permanent at that age. Kids are weirdly bendy. Mine used to haul around a brick he called his pet and his posture is fine. Sounds like you just need to check the backpack before you leave the park.

reed.eva1mo ago

@the_beth My kid tried to haul a piece of driveway gravel the size of a potato home once. He insisted it was a dinosaur egg and cried when I made him put it down. Now I find little rocks in the dryer all the time because his pockets are always full. I guess we're both building free rock gardens whether we want them or not.