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Friendship Rock Garden

Age Groups: Babies, Big Kids, Little Kids, Toddlers
Skills: Fine Motor, friendship, Identity, Trust

Materials

  • Rocks from outside
  • Paint
  • Paintbrushes

Instructions

  • Let’s create a friendship rock garden! First, we’ll need to find some rocks — we can go on a nature walk to collect rocks in different shapes, sizes, and colors.
  • When we get home, let’s each choose a rock to paint and invite some friends to paint rocks with us!
  • Let’s use our favorite colors and paint something on our rock that represents us; or, we can paint something that reminds us of people we love. Babies can put their foot or handprint on a rock. Older children (and adults!) can think more abstractly to represent themselves on a painted rock.
  • Let’s find a special place (inside or outside) to arrange all of the painted rocks into a friendship rock garden!
  • Bonus: Arrange your friendship rock garden in a special place outside where neighbors can enjoy it. Leave some blank rocks and a sign that invites strangers to choose a rock to paint and add to the garden. Watch your garden grow!

Vocabulary

Arrange - to put in order
Friend - a person that one likes
Community - a group of people sharing common attitudes, interests, goals, etc.