It's not a good idea to throw stones, or put them in your mouth, but we've got something you can do with them. It's colorful, creative and will keep you out of trouble - for at least an hour ;)
Image: DW/T. Walker
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Who says you shouldn't play with stones?
It's not a good idea to throw stones, or put them in your mouth, but we've got something you can do with them. It's colorful, creative and nobody will get hurt.
Image: DW/T. Walker
Getting started
Stones are not hard to find, so that's a good place to start. Collect as many as you need for the game you want to make. For ours, we had to find 16 of them. And then you'll need a piece of old cardboard or fabric to use as the board to play on, some bright paints, a brush and a pot of water. Oh, and you need to decide what game you will make.
Image: DW/T. Walker
Dirty little fingers
Once you've got everything together, find a comfortable place to sit, put on some music, or just sing your own song, and start painting. If you are using water color, make sure it's not too runny, or it won't stick. A good way to keep the paint thick, is to make it frothy before you apply it to the stone.
Image: DW/T. Walker
Looking good
Choose whatever colours you want and just keep painting. Make sure you paint them all over, then put them down to dry while you get on with the next ones. Oh, and since you don't want to get told off for splattering paint all over the family table, put an old piece of paper or cloth down under your new works of stone art.
Image: DW/T. Walker
Bumble bees, leaves and ladybugs
Once you have exhausted your paintbrush and the paint has dried, it's time to start thinking about how you want to decorate your stones. You can choose whatever insects, animals, plants, aliens or monsters you like the look of. Let your imagination run wild.
Image: DW/T. Walker
What about the dice?
If your game needs a dice, you can also look for a stone to use for that too. You probably won't be able to find a perfect cube, but if you look hard, you might find something close. And psst... here's a secret: if you use a stone, it will always like rolling in one direction more than another - so make sure you test it before you put your SIX on it ;)
Image: DW/T. Walker
Thumb prints
If you enjoy dipping your fingers and thumbs in paint, you will love this bit. It's now time to start making the board for whichever game you have decided to make. For this one, you start like this, with four thumb prints of the same color inside a circle. Once you've done one color, move onto the next until it starts to look like... (click for the next picture)
Image: DW/T.Walker
Finishing touches
...this. With four different colors that make it look as bright as the summer sun. When you've finished that, you can add any final details. Ours match the painted stones. Leaves on the green smudges, ladybirds on the red ones, and so on.
Image: DW/T. Walker
Time to play
Ta-da! Your game is finished. All you have to do now, is get four people together and start to play. Hopefully the dice will give you lots and lots of sixes :)
Image: DW/T. Walker
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If you like playing games and want to find a new one, how about making one using waste and nature. It won't take you very long, it's fun to do and you can take it with you when you go to school or to meet your friends.
In the garden we found sixteen stones
Looking for colourful new homes
Along came a boy
Who turned them into a toy
And in so doing, made the stones homes of their own
If you want to learn how to make it, click through the pictures here. You could even make it as a gift for a friend or your parents. They like to play too, even if they don't always admit it.
