Get a Load of These Rocks!

Rocks might sound a bit boring, but for kids, anything can become an adventure.  The activities we chose were all about play and creativity.  Rocks are a fantastic way to incorporate sensory activities, and they can be used again and again.

Rock Scrubbing

We have an amazing water play center at school, so we set up a rock washing activity for the toddlers.  It was so simple, but everyone had a good time.  A bit of dawn dish soap, tons of toothbrushes, and some large rocks and the kids went to town scrubbing the rocks.

Fine motor skills are so important to develop during the toddler years.  When those hand muscles are strong, it sets up the kids for successful writing when they get a bit older.  This was a fun way to get some practice in holding a toothbrush and going back and forth.

In every activity we plan, we always encourage sharing and cooperation.  These one year olds have already started learning how to share toys, and we love seeing empathy growing in these little humans.

Rock Painting

Rocks are so versatile, and we love using a variety of materials for the kids.  We used some of our larger rocks and set up some rock painting trays.  The toddlers painted their picture with their rock, rolling it around in their hand and spreading the paint across the paper.

Rock Sensory Bin

We spent some time in the sensory bin, finding all the rocks, scooping the rice into bowls, and exploring the textures as they went.  This sensory bin was a mirror of our Gorgeous Gemstone unit, and the kids loved it just as much.

Chocolate Rocks

For the older children, we always expect more and challenge them while also having a ton of fun.  We got inspiration from this Chocolate Rock Cycle activity from the Homely Hens, but adapted it to fit 3 classes, for a total of 42 children.

We shaved down a ton of chocolate bars with a lemon zester, and added a small spoonful of each color chocolate to a piece of parchment paper.  Then we folded it over and wrapped it in foil.

We demonstrated how the rock cycle works using playdough, then got the kids to wash their hands and sit at the tables.  When we opened up the foil, we told the kids that what they are seeing is sediment.  

When they squeezed the chocolate shavings between the layers of parchment paper, the result was compacted chocolate, resembling sedimentary rock.

We had the kids wrap up their chocolate in the foil and squeeze it in their hands until it got melted, then when they opened it up, we talked about how magma is just liquid rock.  Everything melts, even rock and when it melts, it changes.  We didn’t have time to cool the chocolate off to resemble igneous rocks, but the kids loved licking all the melted chocolate off the paper.

Construction Sensory Bin

We added some sand, river pebbles, and construction vehicles to the sensory bin this week.

Pet Rocks

We introduced the kids to this lesson with a fun project, pet rocks!  They each got a rock of their choice and shared a set of acrylic paint markers to write their names.  We helped them with the glue and they stuck on the eyes and hair.  For the hair, we grabbed some jumbo pom-poms and the kids practiced their scissor skills and chopped them up.  They turned out adorable!

Magic Fizzing Rock Hunt

We had some leftover tumbled gemstones from last week so we thought it would be fun for the kids to find some gemstones hidden inside a rock.  We mixed some baking soda, liquid watercolors, and a bit of water and pressed the mixture into ice cube molds.

Each kiddo got a tray, a bottle of vinegar, pipette, and spoon.  We handed out the ‘rocks’ to each kid and they used the pipette to squeeze some vinegar onto the rock, watching it fizz and bubble as the vinegar reacted with the baking soda.  Once they found the hidden gems, they rinsed them off and put them in a baggie to take home!

Rock Structures

After we explored some of the rocks from Lakeshore’s Rock, Fossil & Mineral Collection, we got to the table and the kids got to work making structures with rocks and playdough. 

We always keep tons of homemade playdough on hand for the kiddos, it's super cheap and lasts for the whole year.  We typically make 8 batches at the end of summer to prepare for the coming year, and toss it the following summer.  It stays soft, stretchy, and the kids love the texture.

Does My Rock Roll?

Incorporating some physics into this lesson, we had the kids grab a clipboard and some rocks and experiment with how the rocks either roll or slide down the clipboard.  After they played for a while, they started climbing under the tables so we thought it was a perfect opportunity to play a game.  We moved the tables onto the carpets and had the kids put all the rocks under the tables, pretending they were hunting for rocks in a cave. 

Soon, the game transformed into a fun competition between the teachers and the kids.  Teachers tried to keep the rocks on top of the tables, the kids tried to keep the rocks on the floor.  We had a blast trying to keep as many rocks on top of the tables while the kids were sliding them off, trying to clear off the table.  It was so much fun, and we always love spontaneous play between the teachers and the kids, as it helps create bonds that reinforce safety and love in the classroom, and that provides the framework for kids to listen and cooperate.