For some reason, everything is so much more fun when you can pull out a surprise. Including learning about your numbers! These DIY number rocks are super durable and will last through play and time! There are countless (no pun intended) activities that you can do with them. But here are a few ideas to get you started!
Jump to:
- 💖 Why You'll Love This Craft
- Number Matching Game.
- Number Activities Using Playdough
- Find the Number Game
- Counting Simon Says
- Rock Stone Maths
- 🎨 Supplies Needed
- 🖌️ How To Make DIY Number Rocks
- 🖌️ How To Make a Bag for Your DIY Number Rocks
- Other Rock Crafts
- 🧑🎨 Expert Tips
- 💭 FAQs
- 🖌️ Related Crafts
- DIY Number Rocks
💖 Why You'll Love This Craft
- Hands-On Learning: Number rocks provide a tactile way for kids to interact with numbers, helping them visualize and physically manipulate math concepts like counting, addition, and subtraction.
- Boosts Math Confidence: By using rocks as a visual tool, kids gain a fun and interactive way to practice math, building their confidence in numbers while making learning enjoyable.
- Versatile for Different Age Groups: You can adapt the number rocks for a wide range of learning levels—from basic counting for young kids to more complex operations like multiplication for older students.
Number Matching Game.
Pull out two rocks. Do they both have the same number? If so, keep them! If not, put them back and let the next person try.
Number Activities Using Playdough
Pull out a rock. What does it say? If it has dots, count the dots and then make your own with Playdoh. But, if it has a number, can you make that number with Playdoh? For a number word, roll out your Playdoh to make a long snake. Try writing the word with Playdoh.
Find the Number Game
Pull out a rock and then search around your home, park or classroom for the corresponding number of objects illustrated on your rock.
Counting Simon Says
Pick a large motor activity like jumping jacks and pull a rock. Then, use it to play Simon Says. If the picker doesn’t say Simon says, everyone who did the activity is out.
Rock Stone Maths
You may need to make some higher value rocks for this one! Pull out two rocks and have kids add or subtract them. You can use counters to help!
The best thing about number rocks is that you can do them yourself. Below you will find everything you need to know to make your own set of number rocks for the kids.
🎨 Supplies Needed
🖌️ How To Make DIY Number Rocks
- Step 1: To begin, you will need to collect your rocks! You will need 30 for this project to have the numbers 1-10 in dots, numbers and number words. Wash the rocks and let them dry. Kids love to help with this! So, get them involved! Once the rocks are dry, paint them white. This is optional, but it makes a HUGE difference in making the colors nice and bright.
- Step 2: Paint the rocks in your choice of colors. I painted mine in a rainbow of colors, but if you want you can make all the 1’s the same color, 2’s the same color and so on.
- Step 3: Let dry. I painted 2 coats on mine.
- Step 4: Once the rocks are dry, use a Sharpie to draw on the numbers.
- Step 5: Seal with a thin layer of Mod Podge. This will keep the paint from chipping and help to protect through lots of play! Plus, it gives them a nice shiny look!
- Step 6: Let dry. Your rocks are ready to play!
🖌️ How To Make a Bag for Your DIY Number Rocks
Follow the steps below to make a bag to keep your DIY number rocks in.
- Step 1: Choose a color of felt for the bag and one for your decoration.
- Step 2: Lay your ‘bag’ color felt landscape ways (hamburger) on your table. Fold the top part down about 1 ½ inch. Pin into place.
- Step 3: Using yarn (or you can use embroidery floss or regular thread) sew across the top creating a little flap.
- Step 4: Cut a long piece of yarn about 1 ½ times the length of your bag. Tie the ends together to make one long loop.
- Step 5: Slide the loop of yarn inside the flap, folding the felt over the yarn.
- Step 6: Stitch the flap down making sure not to stitch the yarn into place. This will become your drawstring.
- Step 7: Fold the piece of felt together (hotdog style!)
- Step 8: On your second piece of felt, draw and cut out a pound sign (or hashtag sign!) Hot glue to the front of your bag.
- Step 9: Starting inside the bag, just underneath the drawstring area that you stitched, stitch around the sides and bottom of the bag leaving the top open. I did a blanket stitch, but you can use any stitch!
- Step 10: Add your rocks inside.
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Other Rock Crafts
If you liked this rock number craft, you will love some of our other rock painting ideas. Check them out, below!
- Preschool Alphabet Rock Stones
- The Snail and the Whale Kids Activity
- Easy Butterfly Rock Stone Craft
Don't have time to read them now? That's ok! Just pin them for later.....
💡 Pro Tip: Store number rocks in shallow trays with compartments so kids can easily self-select and return them, promoting independent organization and tactile memory.
🧑🎨 Expert Tips
- One-to-One Handling: Encourage kids to pick up and place one rock at a time during games or tasks to build attention and counting accuracy through controlled movement.
- Size-Based Sorting: Use different rock sizes to reinforce sorting by physical attributes alongside number values, adding a sensory dimension to number comparison.
- Non-Dominant Use: Occasionally ask kids to use their non-dominant hand to move or sort number rocks, helping develop bilateral coordination during learning.
- Open-Ended Matching: Mix number rocks with objects like buttons or sticks and let kids create their own matching rules, promoting number association through flexible problem solving.
- Group Transfers: Involve tools like scoops or small containers for transferring groups of rocks to teach estimation and quantity awareness in motion-based tasks.
- Layout Rearrangement: Have children arrange number rocks into different patterns—rows, circles, zigzags—to explore number sequencing with spatial change.
💭 FAQs
Arranging rocks in sequences of twos or fives helps children visualize counting patterns. It strengthens their ability to recognize intervals and predict numeric progressions.
Laying numbers left to right or top to bottom teaches children spatial order. It reinforces how direction plays a role in numeric flow and structure.
Yes, practicing backward sequences with number rocks supports mental subtraction. Children gain fluency in reversing numeric steps while maintaining order.
Grouping rocks by tens or units introduces the concept of base-ten structure. It lays a foundation for understanding place value through visible organization.
🖌️ Related Crafts
Love these crafts! Don't forget to pin them on Pinterest or leave a comment and let us know how you got on!
DIY Number Rocks
Materials
- 30 rocks
- White acrylic paint
- Acrylic paint of your choice of colors
- Black Sharpie marker
- Mod Podge
- Paintbrushes
- Yarn
- Thick upholstery style needle
- 2 pieces of felt
- Hot glue gun
Instructions
- 1. Collect 30 0 for this project to have the numbers 1-10 in dots, numbers and number words.
2. Wash the rocks and let them dry. Kids love to help with this! So, get them involved!
3. Once the rocks are dry, paint them white. This is optional, but it makes a HUGE difference in making the colors nice and bright.
4. Paint the rocks in your choice of colors. It is ideal to do 2 coats of paint on each rock.
5. Once the rocks are dry, use a Sharpie to draw on the numbers.
6. Seal with a thin layer of Mod Podge. This will keep the paint from chipping and help to protect through lots of play! Plus, it gives them a nice shiny look!
Your rocks are ready to play!
Did you make this craft? Leave a review and comment below! Alternatively, bookmark it in your browser or save to Pinterest.
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