A Smashing Good Time

On Christmas Eve we let the big boys open their present from Simon early, mostly because they were itching for something to do, and this fit the bill perfectly. They were totally stumped as to what could be in that box - it weighed 22 pounds!


Whoa, what is it, what is it??? A BIG box of rocks!?!


Look at the size of that one! These aren't just ordinary rocks, however, they're GEODES full of crystals!

Safety goggles on and SO excited to break open the first one.

Concentration is key. Take a few practice swings to line up your shot.

Crack! It's open!

Each one was different - some solid, some hollow, big crystals, tiny crystals, sparkly and glittery ones and ones that were more dull and multicolored.

They smashed and smashed until the entire box was emptied. Then they took old toothbrushes and soapy water and cleaned each one of all the loose debris and dirt until they sparkled.

This one was the biggest one, and it was packed full of the largest crystals.

We chose our favorite pieces to put on the nature table - since the sun went behind the rainclouds again soon after we broke the geodes open, these pictures don't even come close to showing show sparkly they really are. Great fun, educational, and the kids got to smash things with hammers...needless to say it was a fantastic family activity!

If you want to pick up geodes of your own, I highly recommend this Ebay Seller! He lets you choose the sizes or number of rocks that you need and then fills up a flat rate priority mail box for you. Definitely the most inexpensive BY FAR - other smash-your-own-geode kits go for around $6 each and only come with one tiny 2" rock!