Fun Ways to Enjoy These Free Rocks and Minerals Cards

These free rocks and minerals cards are fantastic ways to boost learning fun.

If you're studying Earth Science this year (or just want to enjoy some science fun activities with your kids), you'll love these ideas and resources.

My boys and I are having a blast with these rocks and minerals cards in our homeschool. Check out how we're using them and get your free set today!

Learning About Rocks and Minerals Can Be Fun!

Are you and your kids into rocks and minerals? Maybe you have a rockhound or mineral collector in your family?

Or maybe you're like me and never really learned about rocks and minerals? 😳

Growing up, I was a total tomboy. I was always outside playing with friends in our backwoods.

Summers were often filled with trips to the Jersey shore or Deep Creek Lake, MD where my grandparents have a cottage. I remember playing with all sorts of rocks and minerals in all of these places.

I don't, however, remember learning much about rocks and minerals in school. Sure, we briefly touched upon the concepts in middle school science. But, nothing stuck.

In high school, I opted to skip Earth Science and go straight into Biology. To be honest, Earth Science sounded like the most boring thing to study. Who wanted to learn about and stare at a bunch of rocks when you could be doing dissections and using microscopes?

Oh my stars! It's taken me a few years, but now I know how very wrong my young self was!

Once again, through my adventures in homeschooling 5 boys, I've discovered a new love for a subject that I wasn't exposed to or thought I'd like.

My younger boys and I are enjoying Harry Potter fun school using Waldock's Wizards and Wands. For Alchemy classes, we're exploring geology focusing on rocks and minerals.

For my boys' sakes, I decided to keep an open mind about these studies. I got the suggested resources and then some.

To my pleasant surprise, the study of rocks and minerals has become one of our favorite subjects!

Tips for Using These Cards for Learning Fun

I recommend printing these rocks and minerals cards on white cardstock. (I've found this one to be the most affordable and best quality.) This step makes the cards more durable.

If you plan on playing a memory game, print out 2 copies of the set.

For extra durability, you may choose to laminate the cards. If you laminate, I recommend putting another piece of white cardstock (or other color, if preferable) on the blank side. You'll add a layer of thickness plus prevent transparency (not good if playing memory!).

You can print off extra copies of the rocks and minerals cards for your kids to jot down notes on the back or draw their own versions.

Fun Ways to Use These Rocks and Minerals Cards With Your Kids

If you're thinking about studying rocks and minerals as part of your {homeschool} science fun, these free cards provide marvelous hands-on learning opportunities. In addition to these cards, you can add other inexpensive resources to really boost the learning fun!

Our favorite way to use these rocks and minerals cards is to play a simple memory game.

• With 2 cards of each rock or mineral, flip over all cards with the blank side up.
• Each player takes turns flipping over 2 cards to see if a match has been made.
• If a player makes a match, they can go again (and continue until no match).
• The winner is the player who has collected the most number of matches.

To add creative learning fun to this memory game, encourage players to read the facts on the card. Or players can look up information in a book or online site.

Another fun way to use these rocks and minerals cards is to have a "scavenger hunt". One person hides the cards around a room or your home. Players then search for all the cards. When all cards have been collected, facts about the rocks and minerals are read-aloud.

Oh, and these rock activities are more awesome ways to have learning fun with rocks!

If you'd like to add some amazing rocks and minerals resources to your collection, my boys and I recommend checking out Home Science Tools. Their FREE Learning Center is full of science projects and lessons, including rocks and minerals. A few things that we're using (or added to our wishlist!) include:

• Rocks & Minerals Earth Science Collection
• Rocks & Minerals Project Kit
• Rock Hound's Backpack Kit
• Thames & Kosmos Crystals, Rocks & Minerals

Rocks & Minerals Earth Science CollectionRocks & Minerals Project KitRock Hound's Backpack KitThames & Kosmos Crystals, Rocks & Minerals

We are LOVING these books about rocks and minerals:

My Book of Rocks and Minerals: Things to Find, Collect, and TreasureSmithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals (Smithsonian Handbooks) (DK Smithsonian Handbook)The Rock and Gem Book: And Other Treasures of the Natural WorldNational Geographic Readers: Rocks and MineralsThe Illustrated Guide to Rocks & Minerals: How to Find, Identify and Collect the World’s Most Fascinating Specimens, with Over 800 Detailed Photographs and IllustrationsSpotters Guide Rocks & Minerals (Usborne Spotter's Guide)

Get Your Free Rocks and Minerals Cards for Special Science Fun

Ready for some super cool science fun with rocks and minerals cards?

This free printable set includes 25 rocks and minerals cards. There are 5 PDF (printable) pages.

I highly encourage you to print out as many of these cards as you need for your homeschool, co-op, classroom, or community event. If you have a co-worker or friend that you think would enjoy using these printables with their kids, please share this post. Thank you so much for your sharing 🙂

To get your free Rocks and Minerals Cards, simply TAP HERE or on the image below to subscribe to Rock Your Homeschool.

In addition to these printables, you’ll receive a password to our VIP Resource Library packed with ways to make life + learning fun 🙂

Will you be studying Earth Science or geology this year?
How do you feel about it?

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