If you have been searching for a kid activities that you can do outdoors with your children, you can take them out to your local wilderness area and go rockhounding. Even if you can't tell the difference between granite and quartz rocks, your children will enjoy picking up all the different looking rocks. Once you get home, then you can go on the computer together and research the rocks that you find. Rockhounding is a wonderful hobby for people of all ages, and has the following advantages for the children (and adults) in your family: 

Rockhounding Gets You and Your Children Outdoors Exercising in the Fresh Air

Since most people spend far too much time indoors, rockhounding is a hobby that forces you to go outside and get some exercise. As you and your children walk around you will have the chance to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. And, while you are searching for the neatest looking rocks, you can also spend some time looking for interesting looking birds and pretty flowers at the same time. This adds some added learning into the event.

Rockhounding is an Enjoyable Hobby for People of All Ages

Rockhounding makes a nice hobby for families with children of various ages. Just as your 3-year-old child will love picking up pretty rocks, so too will your older children. Your older children will enjoy scrambling around in the woods looking for the "best" rocks, and you can spend time looking for some yourself while keeping an eye on your younger children.

Rockhounding Helps Teach Children about Geology

Geology is the science that studies the rocks and minerals of the earth. When you take your children out to the woods and have them collect rocks, they are learning about geology up close and personally. When you get back home, they can use the internet and a field identification guide to identify the rocks and minerals that they found in your area. 

Rockhounding Teaches Your Child to Appreciate and Conserve Natural Spaces and Parks

Finally, one of the most important aspects of rockhounding with children is that it teaches them that natural spaces have a lot of value and need to be conserved. If you don't spend time in the wilderness with your children, then they will not grow up to be adults that place wildland conservation on their list of important things they should care about as a citizen of the earth.