Pebbles, stones, gravel, rubble, crags, cliffs, mountains - many terms can be applied to the concept of a rock.

At first glance it’s easy to be dismissive of rocks. After all, they are mostly a dull gray, they just sit there and don’t do anything, and in addition, they can actually do a lot of damage to you if you happen to fall on one. I’m sure many of you have broken a bone on one of these unforgiving things.

As the daughter of a farmer, I grew up with the understanding that rocks were not our friends. Dad, along with us kids, spent considerable hours picking rocks. Not exactly the most fun on a Saturday afternoon.

But rocks are actually pretty amazing, and if our world had no rocks, it would be quite a different place.

Rocks play a lot of important roles, but before we get into that, let’s look at some basic rock facts.

Rocks are part of the earth’s crust. There are three major types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.

Sedimentary rock is mostly found in the water. There is a lot of clumping of materials and compacting that goes into the formation of sedimentary rock.

Igneous rock has its beginning in the form of lava which gets shot up to the surface when a volcano erupts. The lava or magma eventually cools and you’re left with - you guessed it, igneous rock.

Metamorphic rock is the result of a lot of change - it morphs, if you will - by being subjected to intense heat and pressure.

Rocks contain minerals, and rocks and minerals provide us with many, many things in our everyday lives.

For example, slate is used for roofing as well as floor tiles. Sandstone is a building material, and basalt is used in making concrete. 

Many tools are made from rock, and sculptors have long used rock as a medium for their artistic work.

Rock is also a popular material for making jewelry. Rock is also used in asphalt as well as ceramics, glass, and electronics!

The practical uses for rock make a very long list, but let’s take some time to look at how rocks contribute to having sporting fun!

Many adventure-type sports include rocks in some way. For example, rock climbing is completely dependent on rock. 

Rock climbing is a sport that has been gaining in popularity, and can be done inside on an indoor climbing wall as well.

Outside, rock climbing enthusiasts climb sheer sides of mountains using very particular kinds of equipment. This is a sport not for the faint of heart.

Hiking is a popular sport in many countries. Some hiking terrains take you through mountain trails. Some of the best hiking spots can be found in the Rockies of Canada, the Swiss Alps, but many countries boast excellent hiking such as the UK, and the United States.

Mountains, cliffs, or rocks in streams, rock in its many forms provides us with great natural beauty.

Now you can enjoy creating beautiful scenes of all different types of rocks in our fifty-page Whimsical Rocks Coloring Book.

Not only will you enjoy this simple pastime, but you will reap benefits that will improve your overall well-being.

Read on to learn more about the benefits of coloring.