Kids Activity in the garden – October

Final product

Stepping stones with kids’ hands and pet paw print.

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.

This is also 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 and fine river sand
• – Water
• – Spray & Cook
• – Surgical gloves – various sizes
• – Gardening gloves
• – 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

Where to shop:

1. Go to your local DIY hardware store to purchase a bag of cement and fine river sand. You can also purchase your gardening gloves here, if you don’t already have some.
2. Shop at your local grocery store for Spray & Cook, foil pie plates and baby powder.
3. Purchase some surgical gloves at your local chemist – sizes will be depend on who will be using them. Buy small ones for the kiddies.
4. Buy various glass stones in different colours and patterns from your local home store.
5. Keep aside some large, disposable plastic cups.

Steps of the activity:

Once you are satisfied that you have everything you need for this activity, take everything outside and lay it all out on a table.

1. Put gloves on to avoid dirty and stained fingers and nails. Use the baby powder inside the surgical gloves for easy application for the kiddies’ small fingers.
2. Spray the foil pie plates with Spray & Cook and put these on the tray or table.
3. Pour 1 cup of cement into a wheelbarrow or bucket, followed by 4 cups of river sand, and mix together until fully combined and all ingredients are in the centre of the wheelbarrow or bucket.
4. 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.
5. 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).
6. Separate the mixture evenly into each pie plate. Ensure that all the grooves of the pie plate are filled and the top is flattened.
7. Replace dirty gloves on the kiddies with clean ones for the hand impressions.
8. 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 this with the other hand in the other cement mixture.
9. If you have a dog or cat that is 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 your pet’s paws off with soap and water immediately afterwards.
10. It is then time to let the kids get creative with the marble stones. Let them place them wherever they want in the plate, encouraging them to be creative with shapes and colours.
11. Let the stepping stones dry for 72-hours at room temperature, and then remove them from the molds.

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!

For more information on bringing Life to your Garden, visit our website www.lifeisagarden.co.za or join the conversation on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lifeisagardensa.