Family Faith and Fun on Friday: Treasure Rocks
Welcome to Family Faith and Fun Fridays! As the week winds down and I anticipate more family time over the weekend, I often ask God for one good idea that will enable me to bring the Word to life and bring our family together. Usually, the activity overflows out of something the Lord has been teaching me through His Word during the week. I’d like to invite you to join me and my family in the adventure. Sometimes I’ll post things we’ve tried; other times I’ll post an idea in the works. If you’ve got thoughts to add or
suggestions on how to adapt or improve the activity, please don’t hesitate to comment.
Just before school started, I pulled out one of my favorite recipes. Late one night as the little ones slept, Lizzy and I mixed, stirred, and patted together a batch of “Treasure Rocks.” I’ve used this easy activity countless times in preschool settings, Bible studies, and at home with a variety of teachable points. This is one of those lessons that never grows old. These dirty-dough creations look like lumpy rocks but are stuffed with trinkets and treasures that always bring a smile to children’s faces.
We used the recipe posted at http://www.escapadedirect.com/treasurestone.html.
Here it is…
- 1 cup Used Coffee Grounds (Dried)
- 1/4 cup Sand
- 1/2 cup Salt
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 cup Water
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Spoon
- Small Trinkets to use as Treasures (This time we used hard candy, Hot Wheels, Littlest Pet Shops, and a variety of plastic jewelry. In the past, I’ve simply packed the rocks with jewels and coins.)
What You Do:
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients (kids love this part).
- Add water to the dry ingredients slowly while stirring. Continue to add water until the mixture forms a dough. (Don’t add the water all at once, or you could end up with really runny dough).
- Knead the dough until it is well mixed, then shape into small balls. (We like to make the balls about 3″ to 4″ diameter).
- Poke a hole in the dough ball and add a special surprise, then cover the hole with dough and reshape if necessary. (If adding more than one small treasure, try to add these pieces to different areas of the dough ball for more of a challenge in retrieving the items).
- Allow the dough ball to air dry for 2 to 5 days (may need more time, depending on the size of the dough ball). Or, depending on the object inserted into the dough, dry the dough in the oven by baking for about 15-30 minutes at 150ºF. (CAUTION: Do not leave the dough in the oven too long, as it could cause the object inside to melt).
- When the dough is dried and hardened, give the ball to your child to chisel open and discover the hidden surprise!
Before the fun began, I asked: “What does this look like?” (A Rock)
“Do you think these rocks are just plain and ordinary on the inside, too? (Eyebrows raised and eyes sparkled. Josh held the stone up to his ear like a seashell in hopes of hearing something inside.)
“Let’s break these rocks open and see what they look like on the inside,” I suggested.
“So do you really think you’ve got just an ordinary rock?” I asked the kids again. This time, they all agreed that they had been wrong. The rock may have looked lumpy and plain on the outside, but it was filled with unusual treasure on the inside.
Before the kids raced off to play with their new-found treasure, I encouraged them to think about their “ordinary life,” made up of “ordinary days.” I suggested that every day has the potential to be like their treasure rocks. The day may look “ordinary” from the start, but tucked into every moment is a gift from God– a smile, a word of encouragement, a pink sunrise, a phone call from a friend. God fills our ordinary days with extraordinary treasures if only we will take time to look for His gifts! We may need to dig a little, but if we earnestly seek Him, we won’t miss the jewels of joy He has strewn throughout our lives.
I’ll save you my coffee grounds:) There’s gotta be something advantageous about having an overly caffeineated friend!
I love your treasure rocks…and I have wanted to make them numerous times! But I never have coffee grounds… maybe I just need to borrow some!
I tried treasure soap rocks…ummm…not as good!!!