What does a resourceful mom do? Figure out ways to create your own rock tool kit including common household tools and ask around for anything that could be handy that is currently being unused. This post will show you a little bit of our evolving rock collection kit and how we have gotten so many nice rocks for free!
Today I would like to share with you some ways to create your own homemade rock kit. Yes, you can buy all types of rock kits, mineral kits, classroom sets, and even rock hound backpack’s but most of those are quite expensive. Since these pre-made kits aren’t in a frugal homeschool budget I wanted to give you ideas of what we have done.
First determine how much your children are really into rocks. Do they really want to learn about them OR do they just want to collect them and play with them? Either way your child can learn, observe, and explore rocks to their hearts content!
If your child really want’s to learn to identify and collect them for further study then I suggest you print rock identification charts or cards from below or visit our post with over 40 free resources for rocks and minerals. Keep an eye out at garage sales or used book sales for rock books. We splurged and paid full-price for Rocks, Gems and Minerals (A Golden Guide)
Second, go collect some rocks and start your own rock collection. You might even go fossil hunting if you live near a place to legally hunt them.
Third, look through boxes and containers you already own to store your rocks in. If you find or purchase tumbled or shiny rocks you may want to store them in individual compartments like a plastic tackle box versus one big box.
Here’s a peak inside our homemade rock kit:
Quick links for free Rock and Mineral Resources:
10 awesome rock resources for your little geologist from Kathy’s Cluttered Mind
K-5 Geosource– the one-stop professional development web site for Earth science
Ohio Rocks– interactive website geared for 3rd to 5th grade
Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association Teacher Resources
Rock Identification Tables–Identify almost any rock type you’re likely to find
Useful Rock and Mineral Identification Resources
Paid Products
what a great idea! we are studying geology with my youngest this year and I really didn’t want the expensive kits!
This is neat! We need to make our own Homemade Rock Kit too. Thanks so much for sharing this with us at the Geeky Educational Link Up!
Great post! Your rock kit is awesome, G. is starting to get into rock collecting a bit…but she likes to play with them, lol. It’s all good, right? 😉
Definitely. The best learning is through play!
Heather,
I have TONS of resources on Geology some already posted but more I’ve not posted. PM me on facebook if you need FREE Geology stuff, lol
Jess,
So glad I remembered to link up again! Gotta think of more geeky and Science posts,lol.
What a great idea! I would have loved this when I was a kid!