One table. A real discovery.
Bring a mini gem-mining station to your school science night. Dig for a stone, find a clue and keep exploring with Rockling.
A shallow tray. Hidden stones. A room full of curious explorers.
Give your PTA science night one table kids want to visit: a miniature mining station where they uncover a stone, look for clues and take their discovery home. Add Rockling's free field notes and an online Adventure, and a simple tray becomes an Excavating Adventure.
This is one station for an event you are already organizing. Choose the materials and number of turns your volunteers can support. You can build it yourself, or use EA classroom Dig Kits when you would rather spend less time sourcing and preparing materials.
Small setup. Big discovery.
Use a shallow shoebox or storage bin, play sand and age-appropriate stones chosen for your group. Hide the stones so children can uncover them with a suitable scoop or tool. For a take-home station, the host should plan one stone and a bag or container per participating child.
Keep a refill tray ready. One volunteer can help children find a stone while another invites them to the observation spot. Try the setup before the event so you know how many children can join comfortably and how the tray resets. Follow the sand and tool suppliers' handling guidance, choose materials suitable for the children's ages, and provide adult supervision. Avoid very small pieces for younger children.
You do not need expensive named gemstones to start a conversation about properties. Children can notice color, shape and surface texture in host-selected stones. Colored aquarium gravel can be used for sorting, but its appearance does not establish a natural mineral identity. Do not turn a guess from color alone into a confirmed identification.
Discover. Identify. Collect.
Discover: uncover a hidden stone. Give the child time to enjoy the find before naming it for them.
Identify: look closely and compare clues. Is the surface smooth or rough? Is the shape rounded or angular? Which colors can the child actually see? If the host has a reliable label or matching card, compare the observations with that information. A few visible clues can support a comparison without being enough to identify an unknown mineral.
Collect: put the host-supplied take-home stone in a bag or container. Add the child's field notes so the discovery has a story to tell at home.
Prefer a reusable shared tray? Children can draw and record a find, then return the stone for the next explorer. That version keeps the observation activity without a take-home specimen.
Give every explorer Rockling's Field Notes
Download the free Rockling observation sheet and print the student page for your visitors. Rockling teaches children to use visible properties as clues, then invites them to draw a find, describe it and compare it with another stone. Younger children can point, draw and explain to an adult; readers can write their own observations. A short host guide is included.
Keep pencils at the observation spot. Ask, "What did you notice?" or "Which clue helped you decide?" There is no need to rush children into a mineral name. Their job is to look, compare and explain.
The field notes include a QR code and link to the free Rocks & Minerals Adventure. Preview it on your event device and network beforehand. A shared screen can introduce Rockling, or families can continue exploring later with an adult.
Keep exploring in the Shimmering Caverns
The discovery does not stop at the tray. In Rockling's free online Adventure, children explore the Shimmering Caverns and use science to outthink the Grumbly. No student account or kit purchase is required.
Meet Rockling and start the free Adventure
Looking for more training before the mission? Choose an activity from the free science resource library. The online Adventure and free resources are available independently of physical kits.
Want the dig prepared for you?
EA classroom Dig Kits offer a ready-made physical option for teachers and PTA organizers who would rather skip sourcing the excavation materials. Each student kit contains six specimens and matching cards, including a guaranteed River Rock with Rockling on the back of its card, plus five other specimens and cards.
The teacher receives one canvas bag with one assorted-color 3D-printed Rockling figure per student. A group of 20 student kits means 20 figures. The teacher can hand them out at the Game rescue or Grumbly defeat, keep them for rewards, or share them later. Colors vary; they are all Rockling.
Explore classroom Dig Kits. Confirm your quantities and delivery timing with EA before promising kits for an event date.
Planning a host-run prize at the table? Ask EA whether a kit gift certificate can be reviewed for your PTA. Confirm an actual certificate and the school's giveaway arrangements before announcing a prize.
Let your school community help cover student dig kits
Set up a Free Dig Kit classroom campaign for a group of at least 15 students. EA provides the sharing materials and tracked link for your teacher or PTA to share.
Explore classroom kit funding with EA and use the sharing materials and campaign link provided for your group. Ask EA to confirm the current support options for your school before making a funding promise.
Starting the campaign is free. Physical kits require full funding and school and delivery confirmation; signup does not guarantee fulfillment. Keep event participation open to families whether or not they buy or support a campaign.
Make your next step a small one
Download Rockling's Field Notes, try one tray and choose whether children will take home a host-supplied stone or record a shared find. Then open Rockling's Adventure and see how the science continues.
If your team prefers the prepared classroom experience, explore the Dig Kits or start the classroom campaign. Your science night can begin with one inviting table and a discovery children want to talk about.