These outdoor games are simple to make and fun for kids and adults. You can tuck them around the garden for bits of hidden fun, make a game area, or keep a few by a fire pit. No weeding. No pruning. And all season color. The first step is gathering up the materials you’ll need. You can buy the smooth stones at a home and garden store, or make finding the stone part of the adventure.
MATERIALS NEEDED a square concrete stepping stone, 6-8 smooth stones, outdoor craft paint, outdoor Mod Podge, water in a container, and paint brushes.
I recommend painting outside on a sunny day if possible, but this can be a rainy day activity too. If you are confident in your painting ability you can choose a more complex design. If not, you can go traditional and stick to a simple XO design. This is a fun project for kids as well. Young kids can paint the round stone pieces different colors or shapes (for example, red for Xs and blue for Os), older kids can choose something more challenging – like bugs, or superheroes, mythical creatures, or flowers. Letting your child pick the design and do the painting can be a great way to get them interested in spending time in the garden. You can search the Internet for symbols to use based on interests. The sky is the limit. Pokemon characters, pets, Harry Potter, Simpsons, Mickey Mouse, boats and cars, baseball balls and bats, etc. You can even make holiday themed versions. For example, clovers and leprechaun hats for St. Patricks.
Another place to get creative is the board. You can paint a simple grid or paint something related to the pieces you made. For example, we painted a vine design for our bees versus ladybug game. If your game has mythical creatures, you could paint flames or chains as the grid.
Once everything has been painted, let it dry for day. Then paint with a thin coat of mod podge outdoor finish. Once that has dried for a couple days, the game is ready to enjoy!
These make great gifts. Since a grid is easy to draw in the dirt or sand, you can make only the rocks (and save on shipping if you are sending this as a gift). Get creative. You can hide the rocks around the garden (Easter egg style) and have kids find the pieces before settling in to play a game. Keep a pouch with pieces in the car to entertain smaller kids during sporting events.
