Stone village

It takes a village to raise a child, so why not create one with stones? This project could be a day-long activity or a summer project. Create a few houses and concentrate on creating storefronts or whatever else the imagination inspires.

Materials

• Large stones from around the garden.

• Acrylic paints.

• Pencil.

• Paint brush.

  • Wander around the garden and search for rocks of an interesting shape. Try to find some that are medium sized and resemble the shape of houses or buildings.
  • Choose which part of the rock will be the front of the house. Paint the rock in a layer of white paint.
  • After the layer of white paint has dried, use a pencil to outline the details of the house, such as the windows, door and roof.
  • Fill in the details of the house using acrylic paints and a brush.
  • To create a little village, paint multiple little houses and shop fronts.
  • Garden Xs and Os

    Turn some stones into a game of Xs and Os and keep the children entertained for hours. This project allows your little ones to create something simple and to play with their art.

    Materials

    • 10 similar-sized stones.

    • Black and white acrylic paint.

    • Nine tiles or squares of card.

  • Paint five of the stones white and paint the other five stones black. Allow them to dry and add another layer if needed.
  • Once the paint has dried, paint a black X on the white stones and a white O on the black stones.
  • Place the tiles in three rows of three and use this as your board for playing Xs and Os. The game can be kept outside to play with on sunny days. The first player to get three Xs or three Os in a row wins.
  • Strawberry garden

    Add a dash of colour to your garden by creating a strawberry bed made of little stones. This is a cute project for little ones who need a helping hand from an adult.

    Materials

    • Stones.

    • Acrylic paints in red, yellow and green.

    • Paint brush.

  • Gather a few small stones in the shape of strawberries.
  • Paint the stones in a layer of bright red paint.
  • Once the red layer of paint has dried, paint the leafy stem of the strawberry.
  • Add little dabs of yellow paint for outside seeds on the strawberry.
  • Find a spot in the garden that is lacking a dash of colour and add the strawberry stones.