"13 new ones!" my son shouts excitedly. "13 perfect new rocks!"

I smile at the little geologist, covered in dirt and completely content. We've been digging in the side yard all morning, looking for the perfect rocks to add to his ever-growing collection.

When his rock hunting first started, I figured it was really was just about playing and digging in the dirt. Turns out it’s much more than that—he actually loves rocks. He likes the feel of them, the colors, sizes, and shapes. It's fascinating to watch this interest develop and to see the simple joy it brings him.

He takes his newfound treasures to the garden hose in the back of the house, washing each one carefully—weighing each in his little hand, holding it up and examining it, studying a piece of quartz as if it held the value of a diamond. I guess, to him, it does.

Later, we’ll go to the library to check out a children's field guide to rocks. I can't wait to help him match a name to the rocks in his collection or to hear the funny names he’ll make up for the ones we can't figure out.

Rock On!

Rock collecting is a great hobby for kids of all ages. A simple tackle box makes a good place to store your child's rock collection. And a visit to a natural history museum is a great way to explore rocks and crystals from all around the world.

From Green Hour, National Wildlife Federation. Contact them at greenhour@nwf.org.

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