Rock Babies – A Creative Activity for Preschoolers

Get your littlest ones outside, looking closely at nature, and thinking creatively… and you might even brighten someone’s day with the result!

Our son, Adam, made these adorable “Rock Babies” (his name for them!) when he was a prescho0ler. He’s in his 30’s now, and I still have them! I keep them in a kitchen drawer that I get into daily, and they still put a smile on my face every time I see them!

Adam was always collecting rocks whenever we were outside. He loved filling his pockets with rocks, which was fine as long as I remembered to check his pockets before I threw his clothes in the wash!

Then one day, he started drawing faces on them. This was totally his idea! He would use whatever markers we had out. (We always had lots of art supplies accessible to our kids, as well as their own kid-sized art table to work at.)

These little Rock Babies were SO cute. Because they were all different shapes and sizes, each one looked like it’s own unique cartoon character!

We had LOTS of Rock Babies around for a while. As his collection grew, Adam would give them as gifts or sometimes he would set up a “stand” on the sidewalk in front of our house where he would sell them for 25 cents each. Sometimes when we’d be out doing errands or on a walk, he would “hide” one for someone to find later on. Who wouldn’t want to find one of these charming creations?

I encourage you to try this with your own preschooler! Permanent markers will yield the most long-lasting designs and also hold up to the elements better if they’re left outside. But washable markers will be fine for indoor Rock Babies, or if you’re not concerned with longevity.

And if your child feels inspired to share these with others, all the better… I guarantee they will bring smiles! :)