cement square hopscotch

 
Last summer we collected 16 concrete squares in our dog run. I wanted to use them as some kind of decoration, but just putting them out in the pea gravel in rows was boring. So, this summer we made them into a hopscotch!

Materials Needed:
Concrete squares
Spray paint & primer
Spray sealant
Outdoor puff paint
Stencils

I tried spray painting a few of the squares without first priming them, which was a mistake. The paint seeped into the cement and the color was terrible. After priming each square, I coated the squares several times with spray paint. We had some special glitter spray paint on hand, so a few of the squares were extra sparkly.

After the paint was dry, I taped on number stencils and sprayed the numbers white. Alisen decided which number would go on each color. Obviously, I didn't do a great job of taping around the stencils, as there is a lot of extra white paint outside of the stencil areas:

 

 

I let the stones dry overnight, and the next morning traced the numbers with a bottle of black outdoor puff paint. This paint was easy to apply in the squeeze bottle and didn't stick up too far off of the cement. Once again I waited overnight, and then finished the squares by coating them with a clear spray sealant. 

We arranged the stones in order from 1-15, with an extra white square being the 'starting line'. This is a project that can easily be extended as far as we want; we might end up with 25+ squares before the kids get bored with the hopscotch. I like that it encourages the kids to use math skills & turn-taking while being active. An added bonus was the colored pea gravel we ended up with, since we had spray painted all of the squares on top of the gravel without a tarp.

Although this project took several days, it was easy and fairly cheap. The kids were excited to help, and they are very proud of their unique game.

tipsy pots

I loved making this project! I initially saw this idea on Pinterest, but cannot find the original link. If it turns up I will add it to give appropriate credit to the creative person who came up with this idea.

Materials Needed:
Spray paint & spray primer
5 foot of metal rebar
5-8 terra cotta pots (depending on size)
Dirt & flowers


I started out by spraying the terra cotta pots with spray paint, and quickly learned that primer was going to be a necessity. Some spray paints have primer added in, but it is harder to find. So, after re-spraying the pots with primer it was time to pick the colors! I don't use a lot of red inside our house, but the patio umbrella outside is bright red, so I was happy to use some bright warm colors on the pots.

After pounding the rebar into the ground about a foot, I placed the short, squat pot over the rebar and slid it down until it hit the ground. I had to fill up this pot with dirt in order to prop the next pot on top. After that it was simply a matter of sliding each pot on and angling it, then we added some dirt and flowers to finish the project. I was able to fit a small sprig of ivy in the bottom-most pot of the red tower, and am hoping that it will wrap around upwards as it grows.

The kids enjoy watching the water trickle down from the top pot when we water. The pots have had no trouble withstanding our constant breeze and have gone through a few giant wind gusts unscathed. Sturdy and eye-catching, this was a great project to celebrate the arrival of summer weather.