Creating a rock collection
Ages 3 and up
Have you seen our amazing exhibit, Curate Your Community? It features collections of natural materials from local artist Andy White. Today, we are going to be working on our collections.
Rock collecting can be a great hobby because it does not require a lot of equipment, just a keen eye and some basic recyclables to keep everything organized. Even better, it can help you learn about the world around you. Utah is home to beautiful deserts, high mountaintops and salty water that can offer a variety of rocks for the careful collector. We have compiled of list of some helpful supplies to get started
Materials
- Old egg carton
- Rock identification guide, like this one here
- Magnifying glass
- Recycled jar or pouch
- Water
- Ruler
- Optional Tools: small paintbrush, gloves, shovel
Directions
- Head outside and find some cool looking rocks. Take a pouch or jar to get your treasures back to your house
- Soaking most rocks in water should get them cleaned up. Place them in a jar overnight
- Check out the rocks with the magnifying glass-what do you notice.
- Keep things organized in a egg carton.
- Got a large rock? Measure to see how big using your ruler!
- Keep collecting!
More Fun
- While you are out looking for geological treasures, why not try out geocaching
