Exploring our DIY rainbow rocks in preschool

Now that our outdoor classroom is back up and running, I enjoy filling it with all kinds of interesting things for the children to explore and one of my latest additions was a set of DIY rainbow rocks…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

To make a set of rainbow rocks, Mr. Hayden helped me gather up rocks (we have piles of them all over for various reasons) and spread them out on a sheet of paper…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

Then we painted our rocks with spray paint…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

We had all the rocks painted except for our last batch when my grandson showed up and wanted to help paint some rocks too! So he “helped” paint our orange rocks for a few minutes before losing interest and moving on to do something else…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

After our rocks were completely dry, we placed them in small jars to set out on our discovery table…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

In case you are new to reading my posts, then you might not know that we have an outdoor classroom that is only open during the warmer seasons. The outdoor classroom is actually a screened in porch that I converted into an outdoor classroom as a place we could go during warmer days to play. With our preschool surrounded by woods, the bees and other critters can be excessive at times so this gives us a way to be outdoors with a little protection in the process.  Oh, we still venture out into the woods and play outside of the outdoor classroom too but I can set up the outdoor classroom with some amazing furniture and materials without worrying about weather damage or the bees and wasps bugging us while the children play…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

Because the outdoor classroom floors are made of wood, I am also able to use clear glass jars instead of plastic jars to display our materials. I have both glass and plastic but I love the glass jars best for the outdoor classroom. These jars are made of a strong glass that has to be smashed pretty seriously before they will break. Dropping them on the shelf or on the floor wont break them but we still teach our students how to handle the jars with respect and care…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

We set our colorful jars of rainbow rocks out on the discovery table along with tools for play and exploration. We also had plenty of rainbow rocks left over to add to our sand table…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

The rainbow rocks are primarily a resource for the children to explore freely throughout the classroom. The children used them for play in the sand table…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

They weighed the rocks on our different types of scales around the classroom…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

They sorted them in our sorting boxes…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

They explored them with the magnifying glasses…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

The rocks will remain available in the outdoor classroom for future play and as I add other tools and materials to the discovery table or the classroom, the children will continue to explore the rocks around the classroom. One of their favorite things to do for now is to take them all out of the jars!…

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

A few of our DIY rainbow rocks have been taken home already. The children asked me if they could choose a favorite color to take home and since I made so many, I am happy to let them pick a rock to take home and share with mom and dad. What a great way to build their own collections and to bring home discussion about what we are doing at preschool too!

DIY Rainbow Rocks by Teach Preschool

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Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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