Decorative Stones (Inexpensive Home Made Toys and Activity Ideas)

Member Name: Ally-doo-lally

Product:	Inexpensive Home Made Toys and Activity Ideas
Date:	31/03/09 (152 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap resources, very fun, gets children talking

Disadvantages: could be messy!

As I work in a nursery and have done various placements in schools, I would like to share with you one of the activity plans which I have found very enjoyable to do with reception aged children and upwards (or even more advanced pre schoolers)


Decorative stones

Resources -

Stones collected from a trip/brought from home and washed, paints and paintbrushes, serviettes and/or napkins with patterns on, scissors, PVA glue
Health and Safety considerations Supervision when using scissors



Explain to children that you will be painting and decorating stones to use as paperweights, show example and let them choose designs from serviettes to decorate their stone with.


Children will start by cutting out pictures from napkin, may need adult support. They will then paint a stone with a light coloured paint. When the stone is dry the napkin image can be pasted on with glue. Ask what shape is your stone? What does it feel like? (smooth, bumpy) Have you got a big stone or a small stone, Who's got the biggest stone? Who's got the smallest stone. Which colour are you going to use?

Children can put their stones somewhere to dry and decide/ talk about what it will be used for when it is dry (paperweight or pretty decoration for their bedroom) explain that it will stop things from blowing away in the wind outside or stop papers from getting mixed up or knocked over on desks. Talk about the colour they've chosen to paint it, is it bright? What else is this colour? Has the texture changed now it is painted (after it is dry). Children may want to give it as a gift to someone in their family.

Supporting lower achievers or for use with Special needs children -

May need more support cutting, perhaps encourage them to cut out larger, less complex shapes from the napkins.

For Higher achievers?
Allow much more independence, perhaps encourage the mixing of paints to create new colours, use more pictures and encourage the choice of intricate shapes to cut out.


Take a note of the descriptive words children use about the colour and texture of their creation, watch children's use of scissors and levels of precision (fine motor skills)

Summary: A very fun activity to try