Fun activity for kids on day hike: Impact!

Which of these rocks will hit the ground first if dropped?

Generally, exploring and discovery is enough for kids, but sometimes even they can grow bored with that and become restless. Remember that they naturally have shorter attention spans than adults.

Fortunately, there are lots of tried and true activities you can do on the trail that’ll keep kids from getting bored. Among them is Impact!

During a rest stop smooth out a square foot of sand or dirt. Have a child drop two small rocks into it from different heights. Ask children to observe and describe how it impacts the sand/soil. Does the crater size change? How about the size and pattern of the debris tossed from the crater? Next change the angle or the force of the drop and have children make additional observations.

Materials: Small rocks

Ages: 9 and up

Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.