Ask Ollie
Painted Thankful Word Stones
Here's one to try together!
Turn plain garden stones into little treasures, then pass them around the dinner table to share what you are thankful for!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- Small stones are a choking size for under 3s: use palm-sized stones only
What you need
- Smooth flat palm-sized stone, 1 per meal guest
- Water, 1 bowl, warm
- Dish soap, a squirt (optional)
- Newspaper, a few sheets
- Paint (optional)
- Paintbrush (optional)
- Crayons or markers, markers
- Bowl for the table, 1
- Old clothes or smocks
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Cover the table with newspaper, set out paint and markers, and have everyone wear old clothes. Paint stains, so keep wipes nearby. Use only palm-sized stones, as small stones are a choking risk for children under 3.
- Go outside and collect smooth, flat stones, one for each guest.
- Wash your stones in soapy water, then let them dry.
- Put on old clothes and help cover the table with newspaper.
- Paint a base coat over the top of each stone. Ask: What color makes you feel happy and thankful?
- Let the paint dry while you think of thankful words.
- Write or paint one thankful word on each stone. Ask: What is one thing you felt thankful for today?
- Put all the stones in a bowl in the middle of the table.
- At the meal, everyone picks a stone and tells why that word matters.
- Keep the bowl out, or make new stones for the next meal! What words come next? Ask: Which word was the most fun to talk about, and what new one should we add?
Play it again
- Guess the painter: before sharing, everyone guesses who made the stone you picked.
- Swap stories: tell a thankful story about the word that belongs to the person on your left.
- Theme night: make a new set of stones all about one theme, like nature, food or people.
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