Decorative Pebbles

Time

4 3 2 1 Early Stage

Benefits

Participants

One to One or Group Activity

What you need

A collection of large, smooth pebbles (approximately 8cm x 6cm)
Acrylic paints in various colours
Clear nail varnish
Paintbrushes
Pot of water
Table covering
Pencils and paper
Some images or photos to inspire people

Intro

How lovely to take something from nature and make it even more beautiful! This arty activity invites people to turn smooth pebbles from the seaside into colourful works of art with acrylic paint. You might gather the pebbles on a lovely day out, or task friends and family to collect them for you. What are you waiting for? Let’s roll up our sleeves and get creative!

You can finish this activity in one session, but it might be better to do it over 2 to give the paint more time to dry.

The Activity

Cover the table to protect it
Layout the pebbles in the middle
Ask each person to look at the pebbles, pick them up and feel them to decide which they’d like to paint
Paint the whole pebble or just one half one colour and let it dry
Spend some time thinking about what people would like to paint on their pebble. E.g. a flower, wavy lines, birds or other patterns
Use the pencils to sketch onto the paper before they begin, if they wish
Once the first coat of paint is dry, encourage people to choose the colours they’ll use for their pebble
Paint the pebbles and let them dry
Paint a layer of nail varnish over the top to give them a lovely shine