Almost everything we know about dinosaurs comes from rocks, so the first day of our little preschool dinosaur summer camp is also all about rocks and fossils!
Preschool Dinosaur Summer Camp (or Unit Study)
Day 1
You can see the 4-day outline for our DIY preK summer camp here!
The first activity is a rock hunt!
Rocks can tell us incredible stories about where they have been! Smooth, shiny rocks have usually spent some time in a river where their rough edges were worn away. Some rocks have crystals or other minerals inside them that you cannot see on the outside.
A Dinosaur Made Me Sneeze is a great introduction to how rocks can change with time. It also ties into the dinosaur theme brilliantly! (Of course, I'm the author of this one, so I am a tiny bit biased!)
(hint: You can buy it on Amazon or use the code Dinosaur25 at OakieBees.com!!)
After you read the book, go on a rock hunt and see if you can find any cool-looking rocks! Do any of them match the pictures of common rocks on the inside cover of the book? If you crack them open, do they look different on the inside than on the outside?
IMPORTANT: To crack it open, place the rock in an old sock. This is especially important for young children. Still give them science goggles or some other eye protection. The sock will let them hit the rock with a hammer without shooting little rock pieces everywhere!
If you have access to geodes, it is fun to "hide" them in your yard, have this discussion with your kids, and then let them crack the geodes open. My kids have always loved finding unexpected crystals inside rocks!
IMPORTANT: To crack it open, place the rock in an old sock. This is especially important for young children. Still give them science goggles or some other eye protection. The sock will let them hit the rock with a hammer without shooting little rock pieces everywhere!
If you have access to geodes, it is fun to "hide" them in your yard, have this discussion with your kids, and then let them crack the geodes open. My kids have always loved finding unexpected crystals inside rocks!
It's even more exciting when they find them on their own near a stream or some other foresty area, but there is nothing wrong with "planting" a few geodes or other rocks too!
What can you tell about your rock's history by looking at it? Rocks are made from different minerals. Can you find any of these minerals in your rock?
After your rock hunt, go back to this outline for more activities for the first day of the Preschool Dinosaur Summer Camp!
Happy Educating,
Carla
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