Painted pebbles

Activity

Painted pebbles are fun to make and can be used to add colour to your garden, balcony, windowsill and plant pots, or as a learning tool.

Learning objectives

Create colourful, decorative stones
Identify different garden crops

Preparation

Go on a walk to find some suitable pebbles or stones or you can buy flat, round pebbles from DIY shops and garden centres.

Wash the pebbles and dry them before you begin.

Ask your group/children to think about what they want to paint on their pebbles.

Equipment

Medium sized pebbles or stones
Pencil
Coloured permanent pens or paint for decoration
PVA glue
Paintbrushes

Step by step

Ask your group to draw a design onto their pebble or stone with a pencil. If it's too dark or rough to draw on, they can draw it out onto some paper.
Colour in the design using paints or permanent pens. Leave to dry thoroughly.
When the paint is dry, take a clean brush and carefully cover the pebble in PVA glue or varnish to make it weatherproof. Leave to dry.

Hints & tips

Paint pictures or write the names of your garden crops onto the pebbles so you can see what you've planted. It can also help children learn how to identify different fruits and vegetables.
Paint numbers and mathematical symbols (e.g. + - x =) to use when teaching numeracy.
Paint pebbles with blackboard paint to create reusable labels for your plants. Just write on with chalk and rub off when you need to change it.
Make a set of pebble letters for younger children to practice spelling.
Paint or draw uplifting pictures or messages onto the pebbles and leave them out in the woods or park for other people to find.
Make a game using your painted stones. Hide the pebbles around the garden or house and see how quickly they can be found or who can find the most in ten minutes.