For the kids... Rock Buddies!

Get decorating in the garden and around the house with some new rock buddies to join the family. This is a great activity for the kids these holidays, as any wet weather means they can paint inside, and then get out and explore/hide the rocks once the weather clears up.

What you'll need

• Smooth, flattish rocks
• acrylic paint
• child-friendly paint brushes
• newspaper to protect your workspace.

Make sure you’re wearing a smock or some old clothes OK to get paint on them

Method:

Make sure rocks are pre-cleaned and dry so the paint will stick.

1. Come up with some ideas on buddies you’d like to include in your garden – do you want to mark out certain plants, so maybe paint some matching flowers, or how about some buggy friends like lady beetles and bees? Let your imagination run wild!
2. Paint, paint, paint away!
3. When dry, go outside and have some fun hiding your new buddies around the garden – maybe you can have a rock buddy hunt with your friends too!

Hint: The rocks are easily seen in a pot but can get lost in garden beds. A good way to make them stand out is to put them on top of a handful of lightly coloured straw mulch.