Welcome back to Kids Get Crafty time for an easy Preschool Craft! In particularly an Easter Preschool Craft! This week we have a very simple and fun craft for you.. it has already provided hours of fun in our house – these little 6 stone ducks! It all started with a walk on the beach. We collect 10s of stones and dragged them home… once home, what do we do with them?! I like crafts that you can play with, i.e. they don’t end up just “standing around”, filling your house and collecting dust. So to Red Ted’s delight, I suggested making “Five little ducks, that went swimming one day”.
I decided to make them different sizes, so that we also have a “sorting” game – sort by size, by weight and counting them all… one of our stones is quite small. So please *take care* with younger children. If need be, make them all larger and the same size!
Our stone ducks were first published in March 2011 and have been updated and republished for your convenience!
I also think, that these make a lovely little “Easter” craft. After all, our ducklings look a little more chick like that duck like! Not that it matters, of course!
The Book… or
Well, there are number of books you can buy relating to “5 Little Ducks Went Swimming One Day”. Just type it into Amazon and take a look! But today is a “Sing & Make” session… sorry, for those who were hoping for a book!!!
This is so ridiculously simple, you will wonder why you hadn’t thought of it sooner…
Materials: lots of stones, though you only need 6, white & yellow paint (we used acrylics, but you could use other paint and then varnish it, OR do the “hot stones & crayons” trick), tab of red and black paint
1) Sort your stones by size: you will need 6! And it would be great if you could get stones that “stand up”. Two of ours don’t but Red Ted doesn’t seem to mind.
2) Paint one white for the mum, 5 yellow for the little ducks. This is the tricky bit: how do you persuade a 3 year old that you can’t paint them ALL white, or ALL yellow or ALL green? Two tips: firstly, show them this post – I find if Red Ted knows what we are making – i.e. can visualise the result, he is more likely to follow instructions and secondly, have more stones on hand, that the 3year old can paint to his/ her heats delight!! You win. They win!
3) Let dry. Once dry, you may need to touch up the paint a little on the spots where the stone was resting.
4) Once try – add tiny eyes and a line for a beak – we found “simple is best”. Red Ted was dying to stick on his oh so favourite Googly eyes… but the small stones were too small. So we didn’t. I think they look nice.
All crafts welcome in the link up party!!
But.. what crafts have YOU made out of stones? And what traditional nursery rhymes and songs have you turned into games? I would love to see them all!
For more Kid’s Craft ideas, click here for a full list. See all of our Easy Preschool Easter Crafts here:
Love and Lollipops says
This is such a cute and lovely idea!! All parts of the process are fun!! We are off to the seaside soon for a weekend away, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for some nice stones!
Take care,
Georgia
Kate says
Oh my goodness, these are so simple! How is it I haven’t thought to do this? 🙂 J loves “5 little ducks went out one day…”. Being not yet two, ours may not look quite so pretty but hey it’s all good fun. Yay! A great inside activity, which is what we need seeing as though it hasn’t stopped pouring for days. Thanks for tomorrow’s activity 🙂
Kate
Salma says
Ohhh i used to sing this song to Chloe when she was a little baby, and it made her smile! love the craft! She is going to love it too!
fabmums says
They are so cute, what a lovely craft!
Red Ted Art says
Aaaah thank you! We have been playing with our ducks again this morning!!
Nina says
Love this one. Very simple, but fun. We’ll be trying it soonish. In general I love crafts that involve collecting something from the outdoors and then making it into something.
Red Ted Art says
Nina – totally agree – love “outdoor sessions” combined with “indoor crafts”!! 🙂
Liz Burton says
There are really cute!
Erm, what’s the ‘hot stones and crayon trick’? *scratches head*
Red Ted Art says
You heat your stones in the oven and then you “draw” on them with crayons – the crayons melt all over the stone and look pretty – I haven’t tried it yet, as am worried about burning little fingers.. but it is a popular craft!
B says
Those are so cute!
Melissa @ The Chocolate Muffin Tree says
So adorable! What a great idea!
Rachel says
Oh my gosh, I LOVE the ducks!!!!!!!!! What a fun idea!
Wonder Mom says
I MUST comment on your cutie-patootie duckies! I must try this some day…
Annette W says
Loved your duckies!!
maryanne says
I love these ducks!
Catherine says
These ducks are so cute! Perfect for little hands too! We’ll definitely be making some this week 🙂 Thanks for another great idea x
Airamty says
This is such a great idea..My daughter loves this song in English and Spanish….great….thanks!
Julia Deering says
These are very cute!
When in Southwold last year, we did kind of ‘live’ version on this; we decorated pebbles and stones but actually there on the beach!
We used felt tips rather than paint – all I had in my bag – and my two children (aged three and five then) made a prince, a princess, then a king and a queen and eventually a whole palace household emerged from carefully selected stones. Everyone in our party got in on the action and soon we had carriages and cars for the family, beds and other furniture. They was even a royal television.
When it was time to go, we each took one favourite pebble character or object and left the others to be washed clean by the sea (non-toxic, washable pens, you see!)
Want to make a little family of chicks though… will show my two littlies your idea!
Julia (Adventures At Home)
Red Ted Art says
Oh you beach trip sounds BRILLIANT! I love it! How fab fab fab and very creative and fun of you… will have to go and look for some friendly pens and always carry some in my bag!!!
Almost Unschoolers says
They turned out so cute! It’s amazing the things rocks can become in the right hands 🙂
Jenny says
Well, that IS so simple. And thanks for the video, too.
Kerri says
You always have the best ideas!
Red Ted Art says
Aaaaah am soooo pleased you guys like them 🙂
Esther says
Wow! The duck and ducklings look so real! so simple and easy to make ducks.. Actually I love the ducklings.. they look so cute!
Holly says
What a great idea! Those are so cute.
jeannine: waddlee-ah-chaa says
I love using natural items with the children. These little rock chicks are great!
My son and his Grandpa have been collecting rocks and painting faces on them. Maybe we’ll try some chicks next.
Jill says
These are just sooo cute! I so want to make my kids a set right now. Thanks for sharing these.
JDaniel4's Mom says
These are so cute! I love the video!
Julie says
So cute. My 3.5 yr old would be all over this. She loves this song too. We act out Jack and Jill with a boy and girl doll on the slide and also Jack be Nimble by jumping over a fat candle (unlit) or a can. We also like to act out Rock a bye baby on their little rocking chair.
Briana says
My son LOVES that song, what a great idea! We’ll definitely have to do it. Just in time for Easter, too, as you said.
Kim @Kims Kandy Kreations says
These are great! I love how cute these turn out. I can’t wait to use them at my next party. Thanks so much for sharing.
I loved these so much that I shared them on my Sunday Shout Out!
http://www.KimsKandyKreations.blogspot.com
Red Ted Art says
Oh! Thank you for the shout out! That is lovely!!!
Maggy
Messy Missy says
I will have to try this with my craft time kiddos at the library. Looks like a lot of fun!! I would love it if you would link this up to my Marvelous Mess party. Each party I pick one project to feature on my sidebar for a week!! Here is the link: http://bit.ly/i5BHt8
creativejewishmom/sara says
too cute for words! thanks so very much for sharing on Craft schooling Sunday, wonderful to have you as always!
Amanda says
Maggy, I meant to tell you before and looks like I never left a comment, but I think these ducks are just adorable!!
old fashioned mummy says
Wow, gorgeous craft. Was just writing a list of summer holiday activities and this is now on it! DS is always collecting stones so making something with them is a great plan!
Red Ted Art says
Oooh thank you for including it in your summer holiday activities list!! Much appreciated!
Angelique Felix says
The love of many many children: the five little duck song. It will be a a fantastic combi together with your craft Maggy! Thank you for sharing it on the WAD bloghop!
🙂 Angelique
La-La's Home Daycare says
I adore this! I have so many stones and they love the 5 little ducks.
Super fun idea!
Lori
moda says
Oh! Thank you for the shout out! That is lovely..
2013 Modas?
MsXpat says
Now its stuck in my head, lol and my toddler keeps saying ‘more more quack quack’ thanks, lol
Red Ted Art says
Ooops!
Amanda says
Shared these on FB yesterday and everyone loved them! https://www.facebook.com/CraftsbyAmanda/photos/a.353593675216.349539.323548680216/10154298146735217/?type=1
Red Ted Art says
Oh you are lovely! Thank you!