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Nature Inspired: Tic-Tac-Toe

As a child, I would spend hours sitting in my parents’ gravel driveway looking at and selecting stones to put in my Walt Disney School Bus Dome Lunchbox. My Mom would check on me often since I spent such a long but silent time there. All kinds of stones to look at, and each one is unique, similar to how God made us humans.

You might be wondering why I’m talking about rocks when this blog post is titled “Nature Inspired: Tic-Tac-Toe.” Well, you will be using stones for your tic-tac-toe project today. Continue reading to discover what supplies you will need.

Nature Inspired: Tic-Tac-Toe Project Supply List

Acrylic Paint
Paint Brushes
4 Sticks (Forearm Length)
10 Stones

Bonus Supply Item

Rock Painting Kit for Kids

Nature Inspired: Tic-Tac-Toe SUPPLY LIST ADVICE

Acrylic Paint – Use highly pigmented paint, so fewer coats are needed. Acrylic Paint is the best paint to purchase because you won’t need to seal your finished product unless you want to. If you’re going to seal your painted rocks, then Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating is a great spray.

Paint Brushes – Use flat brushes for base coats or more extensive surfaces. Use small round brushes for details and letters.

Sticks – Gather four sticks of equal length.

Stones/Rocks – The best places to find smooth stones are by river banks. Or you can search forests, parks or ocean shores. You can also purchase rocks online.

Sometimes, when rocks are purchased online, they can come with a waxy surface, making painting difficult. To remove any possible wax on stones, you can boil them, use nail polish remover or even put them in the dishwasher.

Whatever way you obtain your rocks, rinse your rocks with warm water to remove any dirt.

Nature Inspired: Tic-Tac-Toe DIY STEPS

Step 1: Prepare Your Creation Station

Cover your table with plastic or paper to protect the surface.

Step 2: Paint Your Stones

Divide your ten stones into two groups of 5 to create your Xs and Os. Or you can always paint the two different sets two different solid colors or even get a little more creative with painting your rocks as animals. i.e., Lady Bugs vs. Flowers, Cats vs. Fishes, Peanut Butter vs. Jelly, Or Abstract Designs. You can find many paint designs through google.

You’ll want to allow your paint to cure a day or two for best results.

Step 3: Create Your Nature Inspired: Tic-Tac-Toe GRID

Once your stones are dry, use the sticks you have collected to create our Nature Inspired: Tic-Tac-Toe 3×3 grid on a flat surface such as grass, tree stump, or wood slab.