Unplug Your Kids: Rocks
I have to say, this week’s Unplug Your Kids project ROCKS! (Insert groans here.) Honestly, I’ve always loved rocks – and every time I’m outdoors, I stoop over to pick up a handful, or sit by the stream and pick out the pretties. So I knew that this week’s project would be all fun for me.
On Wednesday we headed out to the park to count birds for Celebrate Urban Birds and to collect some rocks from our favorite local rock-collecting stream. The kids both enjoyed picking rocks…
and BabyGirl even enjoyed licking rocks.
We came home with a nice pan full of rocks, plus an extra stack of biggies on the side.
On Thursday, JediBoy wanted to paint the rocks. I helped him go at it with our washable tempera – a fun idea if your kids are more into process than product, because in a few days you can wash the paint off and use the rocks for something else, or paint them again!
He chose to use red and blue “because the Indian Americans [he means Native Americans] would make these colors from berries.” I have no idea what got his mind chugging down that particular track but I thought it was cool, and as he painted we talked about making our own paints and dyes.
Then we sat down to wash the other rocks. BabyGirl thought this was a magnificent treat, having a pan of rocks and warm water and a toothbrush. That’s a wonderful sensory experience. It did take me quite a while to really convince her not to brush her teeth after she’d brushed a rock!
JediBoy and I had a fabulous time, showing each other the really pretty ones or the funky shapes, and seeing how the water changed the way they looked. We found a few that had fossils, so we talked about that too. JediBoy chose as his special rock a black stone with an orange inclusion in the shape of the letter C.
On Friday morning we mixed up a little plaster and made some rock mosaics. We buy plaster of paris at the local arts & crafts store, in an 8 lb. box for about $5. I used old food containers for measuring and mixing – two parts plaster to one part cold water.
JediBoy liked the texture while he was mixing, and kept mixing for a while just because it was fun. Plaster is fun and easy – the biggest thing to remember is to wash any of your tools that you want to save while the plaster is still wet – and do that outside, not in your sink! We used paper bowls and applesauce cups as our molds.
JediBoy made a smiley face and the sun, and BabyGirl made a little random art. She thought it was terrifically fun to drop pebbles into a bowl of white goo.
I used the smaller applesauce cups for molds and formed my kids’ initials with tiny pebbles. The plaster had mostly hardened after half an hour, but we left them in the bowls until Saturday morning, when they popped out very easily.
Later on Saturday, we talked more about which rocks were our favorites and started to set some aside for our permanent rock collection.
On Sunday, JediBoy and I picked 15 pebbles of roughly the same size from our dwindling pan of rocks. We used nail polish to mark the rocks with three symbols (line, circle or Z) – five rocks with each symbol. Once the nail polish dried, we used these marked rocks to play a few games. We put the rocks in a drawstring bag and took turns pulling them out.
Sometimes we drew to see who could get the first circle, or who could get three of a kind first. We would take turns drawing five rocks to see how many of the same kind we could get (think Yahtzee) or see if we could feel the slightly raised nail polish to guess what symbol we had before we pulled it out. The rocks-and-bag game is very versatile and free-flowing, and led to some basic conversation about probability.
Then we had to paint JediBoy’s toenails.
It was a very fun week, and we still have lots of rocks left for more projects. Everybody needs a rock!
March 31st, 2008 at 8:12 am
What cool projects. I love the game idea and the plaster art idea. Speaking of making your own paint and dyes, I learned this week that you can make your own paint from different colored rocks. I was tempted to try it, but I think we’ll save it until he’s a little older and can enjoy pounding up the rocks himself.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:24 am
Great projects! I never thought of plaster and making mosaics, I’ll have to keep that one for future use
I’m really enjoying going to everyone’s blogs and getting new ideas! Thanks for sharing,
Nature Mama
March 31st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Great projects, and quite a variety! I especially loved the plaster mosaics. I have never tried working with plaster before, but you make it look very easy. I think we’ll have to try a plaster project soon. Thanks for all the inspirational ideas!
March 31st, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Lex, that your daughter would be interested in TASTING the rocks just doesn’t surprise anyone here! ROFL!
March 31st, 2008 at 3:56 pm
I love your projects. I am definetly going to try the plaster mosaics. The boys want to make some for their grandmother. Thanks for the idea.
March 31st, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Wow, you all came up with so much stuff. It is amazing the myriad things an inventive kid can do with something so simple as a rock. I look forward to seeing what you do next week.
March 31st, 2008 at 8:42 pm
What a great variety of activities you came up with. I love the pic of your BabyGirl about to lick the rock. But truly, the rocks looked so beautiful along the water that it’s no wonder she wanted to explore them further! Also love the game…love it all! Thanks!
March 31st, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Your son has quite the imagination! I think its great that you can do so many fun things with him and it seems like he always has some great things to add! I like the plaster activity and the game looks pretty cool too!
March 31st, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Fun project! love the ABC rocks and the pretty bag…..and those cute toes are fabulous!!!
April 1st, 2008 at 1:34 am
Wow – so many ideas! Those plastered rocks would make great paper weights for gifts I reckon! My son would totally lick rocks also!
April 1st, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Wow- you guys came up with TONS of ideas! My daughter would have loved the rock-collecting expedition by the stream. I’ve never worked with plaster before- I’ve always thought it was a bit intimidating, but you’ve made it look downright simple!