Fossil hunting is different from many other hobbies or activities in that interest ranges widely among different ages and genders. In our experience on our fossil hunting tours, we see a 50-50 mix between genders participating and age ranges from 5 to 80. It’s not easy to think of many other activities that have such a broad appeal.
Many parents have questions about our fossil hunting tours and some of the most common questions asked pertain to how appropriate the tours are for kids between 5- 10 years old. The short answer is that the tours are GREAT for kids that between those ages. Elementary school age kids have a big interest in fossils and geology in the proper context. Being an outdoor activity, fossil hunting is a great way to get exercise, fresh air and learn about the planet’s history out of a classroom setting.
We usually don’t recommend our tours for kids under age 5. Pre-school age kids aren’t generally able to put fossils and ages into proper context plus focusing on one activity for hours usually doesn’t work as well for the little ones.
Safety is a priority on our tours. Some people choose to do our canoe tours, others choose our walk-in tours without canoes. Regardless, the rivers and streams we visit have minimal hazards and the waters levels are mostly below 2 ft. We supply life vests and preservers for everyone on our canoe tours as required by law on Florida waterways. Our canoes seat up to 4 people although only 2 people generally paddle at one time so no worries that your kids need to be experts. Riding along and letting someone else paddle is more fun anyway!
It’s true that kids have all the luck when it comes to fishing. That rule also pertains to fossil hunting! Many of the youngest people find the best fossils of the day on our tours. Whether it’s better eyesight, being closer to the ground, no sore back or a higher power, kids can clean up and make the adults look bad- take a look at the gallery photos from previous tours on our site and see what we mean!
If you’re considering going on one of our tours and have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Our guided fossil hunting tours are arranged by reservation on weekends and weekdays all year. It helps both you and us to give at least a few days notice before booking your tour but don’t hesitate to give us a try the night before if need be. A deposit is not required. We generally are reaching areas by canoe with boats and equipment we supply but we also can do walk-in tours without a canoe. Please call (772) 539-7005 or email- fredmazza at paleodiscoveries dot com for more info or visit www.paleodiscoveries.com or http://scottg17.sg-host.com
Hope to see you on the river!
