Kids get creative making stepping stones
and STEPPING stones have been around for years, simply because they are a fantastic, creative way of adding a unique touch to any garden paradise.
Kids get super excited when they are allowed to create something with their own personal touch, and this project allows exactly that.
Making stepping stones with kids’ hands and pet paw prints is a fun family project if you are trying to pull the dads away from the TV!
Rake in the whole family and get stuck in (pardon the pun), with dad mixing the cement and sand, mom doing the preparation and supervision and the kids choosing the colours and creative element.
What you will need:
Cement sand Water Spray & Cook Surgical gloves Gardening gloves
and
fine
river Foil pie plates Marble glass stones A large, disposable plastic cup A measuring jug Baby powder A metal spatula/trowel A bucket or wheelbarrow to mix cement in
Old tray or covered table
Steps of the activity:
1. Take everything outside and lay it all out on a table. 2. Put gloves on. Use baby powder inside the surgical gloves for easy application. 3. Spray the foil pie plates with Spray & Cook and put these on the tray or table. 4. Pour one cup of cement into a wheelbarrow or bucket, followed by four cups of river sand, and mix together until fully combined and all ingredients are in centre of the wheelbarrow or bucket. 5. Create a well in the centre of the mixture and pour 200ml of water into this well. Fold the water slowly into the mixture, making sure to combine it well for a uniform consistency. 6. Create another well in this newly mixed mixture and pour in a further 100ml of water. Mix until the mixture has reached a porridge consistency (stiff enough to keep an impression, and not too sloppy). 7. Separate the mixture evenly into each pie plate, filling to the top. 8. Replace dirty gloves on the kids with clean ones for the hand impressions. 9. Spray the gloves with Spray & Cook and press one hand into one of the cement mixtures, pressing the hand hard enough into the cement to make an impression. Repeat with the other hand in the other cement mixture. 10. If you have a dog or cat willing to cooperate, you can put the pie plates on the floor and let them stand in one of the plates for their pawprint. Wash their paws off with soap and water afterwards. 11. Let the stepping stones dry for 72 hours at room temperature, and then remove them from moulds. Voila! You have made yourself some beautiful new stepping stones for the garden, and you’ve managed to keep the kids entertained for an hour or so. What fun!