*Guest Post* Petroglyphs

Nature for Kids was one of the very first blogs I ran across when I was first starting Tales of a Mountain Mama.  I continue to be impressed by the informative posts and the photos that Shawna takes.  I am so honored now to have her guest post here on our blog.  She shares some adventures that are unique to our part of the country. These petroglyphs are such a beautiful example of time standing still through the stories on the rocks.  Please feel free to leave comments for Shawna (and check out her bio at the end of this post too!) 

When we lived in southern Utah we spent many weekends during the springtime going for drives in the desert in search of petroglyphs.

It was a fun way to spend time as a family. We’d just grab some snacks and be sure we started with a full tank of gas and we were off. It felt like a treasure hunt, climbing over rocks looking for images on all the faces.

I always use to think petroglyphs and pictographs were the same thing. But petroglyphs are actually made by using a small stone to carve or scratch the symbol into the rock face, whereas pictographs are symbols that are painted on the rock.    

Can you see the difference? These pictographs were found in the San Rafael Swell, amazing surroundings and kind of eerie at night.

Here's a great craft idea for kids to make their own petroglyph...

Petroglyph Craft For Kids

First gather up these items...

§       Plaster of Paris

§       Styrofoam plate

§       String

§       Scissors

§       Plastic ziploc baggy

§       Butter knife

§       Paint (sandstone color)

§       Paintbrush

§       Pencil or Nail

§       Measuring Cup

Step 1

Pour 3/4 cups of water into the ziploc baggy. Add 1 1/2 cups plaster.

Step 2

Squish and squash it until all the bumps are gone and it resembles pancake batter.

Step 3

Cut one corner off the baggie.

Step 4

Squirt the plaster through the hole onto the plate.

Step 5

Spread the plaster out and smooth it as best you can. Place a loop of string inside the plaster right at the top for hanging later. Let it dry about 30 minutes.

Step 6

Paint it and then wait for it to dry completely...good time to jump on the trampoline.

Step 7

Scratch out your images using the pencil and then the nail.

TA-DAAA!

Shawna grew up on a farm/sheep ranch in central Idaho. She got a degree in Recreation Management / Youth Leadership from Brigham Young University. She married a fellow outdoor lover and eventually brought four allies into the world to explore with them. Their focus is to teach their kids life lessons through exploring the great outdoors. Shawna created NatureForKids, a blog that gives encouragement and ideas concerning wholesome outdoor recreation for kids and their parents.