The young girl in the video above LOVES rocks. She simply can’t get enough rocks. You might even say she digs them – literally. Her intense interest in rocks was sparked when she learned about them at her Kiddie Academy and it followed her home. That’s our goal at KAECC – to make learning fun and inspiring so that it becomes a lifelong passion.
In this case, it was rocks. Finding fun ways to teach children about rocks and minerals is how we introduce them to geology, one of the science subjects in our STEM program.
“Science is where the natural world comes to life,” said Richard Peterson, Kiddie Academy’s Vice President of Education. “Learning center exploration time is a fantastic opportunity for children to learn through play, by observing and exploring, using their senses. There are many fun ways we’ll introduce them to geology. They’ll learn about different types of rocks, they’ll learn about the Grand Canyon and about fossils. The lessons often combine the science they’re learning with art and language, where they’ll decorate rocks or write stories and poems about them.”
You can do many of these fun geology projects at home, too. It’s a great way to build on the interest started in your child’s class. Some of the projects you can do are:
– Talk about birthstones. Each month has a signature gemstone. The website Wonderopolis has some good information about how the gems became associated with each month. Talk about this information, then print and cut out pictures of birthstones. Make a list of each month and match the correct stone to each month. What is your child’s birthstone? What’s yours?
– Make pet rocks. Find or buy some smooth rocks that you and your child can decorate. Ask your child to imagine what kind of pet they want their rock to be. A dog? A cat? Maybe a turtle or even a ladybug? Then, using markers, paints and even some googly eyes or pipe cleaners, they can then decorate their rock to make it “come alive.”
– Play “Rock, Paper, Scissors!” This traditional two-person game is always fun. The players chant, “Rock, paper, scissors, Shoot!” Then each player makes a sign with one of their hands. A fist means “rock”; a flat hand means “paper”; and an extended index and middle finger mean “scissors.” The winner is decided according to the rules that rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper covers rock.
There are also lots of great books about rocks for children. Here are a few that we recommend:
“Stone Soup,” by Ann McGovern
“If You Find a Rock,” by Peggy Christian
“National Geographic Kids Everything Rocks and Minerals,” by Steve Tomecek
“The Rock Factory: The Story About the Rock Cycle,” by Jacqui Bailey
A great way to learn how Kiddie Academy incorporates STEM into our curriculum is by attending one of our STEM Adventures events in January or February. Kiddie Academies nationwide will be hosting these free and fun events in January and February. You can click here to find dates and times at a participating Academy near you.
Thank you for reading along, as we work together in raising the next generation of amazing kids!
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