Dozens of kids brought their rocks — in pockets, plastic totes or drawstring pouches — to Science Saturday at the Kansas University Natural History Museum.

In honor of Earth Science Week and National Fossil Day, scientists were on hand to help identify whatever rocks kids brought in. Second-grader Aaron Tilley, of Tonganoxie, arrived with about a dozen rocks he found mostly in his backyard.

“I got interested in rocks because I like to discover new things,” he said. “You can split them open and come out with gems, fossils or magnetic rocks.”

Attendees had the chance to talk with museum experts about rocks, minerals and fossils, and excavate some fossils of their own. The museum and the Kansas Geological Survey presented the event. Rudolph Serbet, collection manager at the museum, had a table spread with fossils from different geologic periods. Serbet encouraged kids to pick the fossils up and answered questions about them and his experience collecting and studying them.

“For me personally, and I hope for them, too, it’s the feeling of discovery when you find something that you don’t know what it is,” he said. “It’s exciting and gets you going.”

Kaden Krambeer, a fifth-grader at Sunflower Elementary School, worked with a pick and paintbrush to unearth a fossil shark tooth. He said he loves paleontology of all sorts.

“I’ve always been fascinated by anything that lived before humans existed,” he said. “It’s interesting how a bone turned into a rock and how old they can be — the scientists say 3.6 billion years — considering I’m only 10.”

Kids could also cast fossils with plaster molds, touch a 4-billion-year-old rock from space and talk to the different scientists at each station. Serbet said he thinks that exposure is important, not just to paleontology, but to all sciences.

“Hopefully kids realize they can do science and discover things,” he said.