If you’ve ever emptied a handful of pebbles from little pockets or found “special rocks” tucked in corners of your home, you already know kids are natural rockhounds. They see beauty and mystery where adults might just see gravel. The Maplewood Rock and Gem Club’s Juniors Program was created to celebrate that curiosity and give young explorers a place to learn, share, and dig deeper into the wonders of our planet.

Each month, our Juniors dive into a new adventure. We might explore petrified wood, fossils, or glowing minerals that light up under UV lamps. Some meetings bring out the hammers for geode cracking, while others get hands-on with rock tumbling or learning how to identify specimens from their own collections. There’s always something new to discover and something fun to take home.

Every gathering includes a short presentation with real specimens to examine, an interactive activity, and even a raffle for a chance to win cool prizes. Juniors can also earn badges through the AFMS Future Rockhounds of America program, collecting patches and pins as they explore different topics and skills.

And for our Rookie Rockhounds, there’s a special spotlight: each one gets a chance to show off their personal collection in the clubhouse display case, and to join the Juniors showcase at our bi-annual rock and gem shows.

Every meeting is a mix of learning, laughter, and discovery where curiosity is the ticket in, and every kid leaves a little more connected to the Earth beneath their feet.