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Celebrating "Collect Rocks Day" in KC

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If you have a curious kid in your family, you may have encountered a pocket full of rocks in your laundry on more than one occasion. This month, in the spirit of Collect Rocks Day (Sept.16), encourage your junior rock hound with one of these fun ideas:

UMKC's Richard L. Sutton, Jr. Geosciences Museum

This free museum is open to the public Monday-Friday from 8:30 to 4:30. You may explore the museum independently or call ahead and request a tour, 816.235.1334. The exhibits include a vast collection of rocks, minerals and fossils. Children will be fascinated by the interactive display showing rocks with fluid inclusions, giant fossils, beautiful geodes and the museum’s crinoid collection. Crinoids, or “starfish on a stick,” were abundant in downtown Kansas City, once ringed by a shallow sea. To learn more about this fascinating field trip, read our story “Visiting UMKC’s Geosciences Museum.”

Cave Spring Historic Site & Nature Center

This free nature site is home to nearly 4.5 miles of trails where visitors hike and explore discovering ruins from early settlers’ cabins including chimneys made of stone, natural creeks and a small cave with a spring in it. The site was a key historical point for the Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails. Visiting the park is free to the public and the site is open from sunrise to sunset daily.

KU Natural History Museum

If your interests extend beyond rocks to fossils, you’ll learn a lot on a visit to the KU Natural History Museum where visitors will see fossils – most famously the ancient mosasaurs, and the facility which is home to 1.2 million archaeological artifacts. The museum offers four floors of exhibits and is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9:00 to 5:00 and Sundays noon to 4:00. The suggested contribution is $7 per adult and $4 per child.

The Kindness Rock Project

Begun more than a year ago on the West Coast as a fun alternative to Pokemon Go and a way to spread kindness, the Kindness Rocks Project (TheKindnessRocksProject.com) has become a trend across the nation. Families decorate rocks (paint and seal them) and leave instructions on the bottom with a hashtag or Facebook group name telling others about your rock group. When you find one, you can post a photo in the Facebook group and either keep the rock or trade it for one of your own. Fans love to hide rocks at local parks, trails and attractions. Many are adorned with messages of kindness and friendship. Local painted rock groups on Facebook include:

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