Ladybug Rocks using Crayons

We are preparing for a festive "Ladybug Birthday" for our soon-to-be 2 year old! I like to take several weeks to prepare homemade decorations and games so that the festivities last for weeks and not just one day. Last week my five year old son and I made some really cute "Ladybug Rocks" using crayons.



Maybe he is tired of me taking his picture all the time?

 The process was very simple: wash the rocks well, let them air dry, heat them in the oven (we just heated them to 250F), 'paint' them with crayons (that you peeled the wrapper from), and finally, allow to dry before handling.  We used cardboard to protect the table...and to doodle between the action!

These would be great to make as counters for teaching one-to-one correspondence OR skip counting. You could cut out green felt or paper and place one ladybug on each leaf. Later each ladybug could be given 10, 5, or 2 spots and then the child could practice skip counting using the ladybugs!

For the birthday party these are going to be used as decorations. Can't make every moment about teaching early skills!


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I was inspired by the blog, 5 Orange Potatoes, to try out this project. Check out the link below for her more detailed explanation.
http://www.5orangepotatoes.com/blog/2011/03/04/hot-rocks-painting-with-wax-on-rocks/comment-page-1/#comment-13556