1. Spread rocks on a flat surface. Squeeze paints onto a paper plate.

Extend the Fun 

For younger kids: Have your little ones paint pinecones, sticks, or blocks of wood. See how many different shapes you can make! Glue them into square, pyramid, circle, and hexagon shapes. In the woods, look for rock sculptures made by nature. In the city, look for rocks that support and decorate buildings, and sculptures on display in public places.

For older kids: Native Americans drew pictures and symbols on rocks (pictographs) to record events. Read “The Song of Hiawatha” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; it describes the symbols the Ojibwe warrior used (...“For the earth he drew a straight line, for the sky a bow above it….”). Draw your own pictograph on a rock or wall to commemorate a special trip, a pet, a new baby brother or sister, or a birthday.