Painting is a great kids activity – whatever the weather. There are so many variations and techniques to try! Below, we've put together a tutorial for one of our favourites: painting on pebbles.
Like any art activity, painting pebbles with your kids might get really messy, but that's not a problem if you've got Persil in your store cupboard – Persil small & mighty is great for tackling stains left behind from blue and yellow washable kids’ paints.
Before you start this activity, be sure to protect clothes and surfaces. But if paint or varnish does get on anything it shouldn't, don’t forget, we've got all you need to know about removing different types of paint stains.
HOW TO PAINT PEBBLES
Painting stones and pebbles is a fun and memorable way to finish up a day trip to the beach, a riverside walk, or a woodland scavenger hunt. Your children will enjoy collecting a small bucket or tub full of treasures to keep or transform into their own masterpieces. The easiest canvases are probably the wide, flat, grey stones you get at the seaside; but don't forget to collect smaller, interestingly coloured stones that look beautiful when wet – you can do something with these too! To begin, all you need is a few simple materials:
Pebbles and stones
Poster or acrylic paint
Paintbrushes
A glass of water
A colour mixing dish
Clear nail varnish
To turn your pebbles into works of art, do the following:
Decide what you're going to use the finished stone for (check out our painting pebbles ideas below).
Paint the stone with your design. Kids can be as creative as they like here – and don't forget to sign your artwork too!
Allow the paint to dry and then cover it with a protective layer of clear nail varnish; this will also give your stone a nice shiny finish.
Once this is dry, your painted stone is complete!
IDEAS FOR PAINTING PEBBLES
The great thing about painted pebbles is that you can use the finished pieces to decorate your home or garden, or your kids can give them as gifts to family and friends. One idea is to glue a magnet to the back of your pebble for a simple homemade fridge decoration, just be sure to use a light pebble! Here are a few more suggestions:
Garden animals or insects are the most common painted pebbles designs for kids, as these are the simplest to paint and look great dotted around the garden.
Hand or foot printed pebbles make great toddlerkeepsakes for parents and grandparents.
Fancy cursive words,phrases, or even dates suit pebbles destined to become desk paperweights or party favours.
What design ideas do you have for painting pebbles? Share your ideas in the comment box below.