You Rock!! Family-Friendly Art That Creates Change

An easy way to create empathy through play and have fun!

Here's what you need to DIY:

• rocks (collect them near water or buy them from a craft store)

• oil pastels (I got the kind for little hands that don't roll off the table)

• clear glue

• a brush

• a towel to keep the table clean from little pieces of oil pastel

• a small amount of biodegradable glitter (optional)

• a black permanent marker if you want to include a message on your rock

• QR codes (Print here)

instructions

Its best to work on a non-carpeted area.

You can clean the rocks if needed with soap, water, and an old toothbrush. Let them dry.

Use the oil pastels to decorate the rocks. Press hard to cover the surface. It's much neater than paint! It's also very forgiving due to the ability to blend and overlap colors. The harder you press and the more time you spend filling in the empty spots, the better your rock turns out! It's also great for your finger muscles.

You can use the brush or your finger to blend the oil pastels and to swipe off the stray pieces of color as you go.

You can also gently heat your rocks in a pan or electric skillet, but never let them exceed 120 degrees F. Additionally, never use a microwave oven to heat rocks. Warming the stones makes it easier to color and blend the colors.

After your rocks are dry you can use clear glue and a brush to seal your work. Let it dry on top of a domino or a plastic egg carton turned upside down. Several coats of glue make the rocks shiny and durable. You can add words with a brush marker or a permanent marker and coat with glue again. You can also add biodegradable glitter and cover again with glue.

If you want to honor quality care, providers, and parents, you can send people to our website by distributing your rocks with QR codes. Print the codes here and glue them to the bottom of your rocks. Coat them with glue again. Let dry thoroughly.

Every rock is unique and has great potential, just like you!

Distributing rocks is a great way to promote play, empathy and caring.

If you want to learn more about how early childhood rocks gives back, click here!

Nanci J Bradley is an early childhood and family educator, parent, author, teacher, SELF-care facilitator, family aerobics instructor, and an all-around fun-loving person. She believes in the power of sleep, healthy eating, lifelong learning and most of all, PLAY! She studied early childhood ed at Triton College and received her BS in education in 1986 from NIU. She received her MA in human development from Pacific Oaks College in 2011. She lives and teaches in Madison WI