Rock hunting can be an enormously gratifying hobby for kids and families. It's an incentive to get outdoors, go to pleasant, out-of-the-way places and learn how the land around you came to look the way it does. Best of all, it enables children to embark on a new collecting adventure.

For a successful rock hunt with your kids, you don't need to come home with museum-quality specimens. The joy of being a rock hound is in the pure thrill of discovery, not necessarily the quality of your finds. Here's how to stage your kids' expedition and identify the rocks they collect. Plus, special games to ensure that your children get the most out of their rock hunt and come home happy.

Maggie Megaw is a regular contributor to FAMILYFUN.