These DIY rock puzzles are a fun way to bring nature into the playroom.
I made these for Jane as a way for me to burn some creative energy after Winifred was born. We had gone to a river to collect rocks and have a little picnic then over the next few days this was an easy project for me to do in the evenings while the baby slept. It was time-consuming but easy on my tired brain.
With Christmas coming, customized puzzles like these would be amazing as gifts for kids. In fact, I think I might make a few more as gifts as well!
They were FUN to make. FREE to make. Now let me show you HOW to make!
I made 3 different DIY rock puzzles: the alphabet, numbers 1-10, and the name JANE.
To make the DIY Rock Puzzles
You will need:
- Small rocks
- Cardboard
- Pencil
- Exacto knife
- Glue
- Paint pen/Permanent Marker
- Paint and paintbrushes (optional)
- Mod Podge
Step 1: Gather rocks
We went to this cool river to get our rocks. We made a whole dinner picnic, rock gathering, river splashing event of it.
You need to find rocks that are fairly flat and small. The size depends on how big you want the puzzle to be and how many pieces it will have. For instance, the name puzzle (with only 4 pieces) has much larger rocks than the alphabet puzzle and the numbers are a size in between.
The rocks should also have a fairly smooth surface. The river we went to had a lot of jagged or flaking rocks that we left behind. They need to be smooth enough to write and/or paint on.
Step 2: The cardboard
The puzzle board itself is made out of corrugated cardboard. I recycled shipping boxes for this, the thicker and sturdier the better.
To determine how big the cardboard pieces need to be, lay out your rocks in the orientation you want the finished puzzle to be and size the cardboard so as to fit all of the rocks. Make sure you have plenty of wiggle room between them.
You will need 2 pieces of the same size cardboard per puzzle.
Step 3: Cutting out the slots
Lay the rocks on one of the cardboard pieces exactly where you want the puzzle pieces to be and use a pencil to lightly trace around them.
After they’re all traced, you’ll set the rocks aside. I found it helpful to keep the rocks in the same order on the table so you don’t lose track of them.
Then use your Exacto knife to cut out the traced spaces. It may be helpful to use a cutting mat. And test out each space with the rocks after you cut them.
Make sure you’re only cutting through ONE of the pieces of cardboard!! The other one has to stay solid.
Extra idea: Jane enjoyed playing with and stacking up the discarded cardboard cuttouts so I saved them to put on her loose parts tray. We love free open ended “toys”!
Step 4: Gluing
Once every space is cut out, the two pieces of cardboard can be glued together. Make sure you have tested each space and that the rocks all fit comfortably. Also, make sure you know what side is to face upwards. You don’t want to glue it on upsidedown as that would ruin the whole puzzle!
You can use just about any type of glue but I actually love using wood glue for cardboard. It will give a good tight hold. If you don’t have any wood glue Tacky glue, Mod Podge or even Elmers should be fine.
Step 5: Decorating.
Now that your puzzle board is made, it’s time to decorate everything. I did all 3 of mine slightly differently, which shows that it’s all up to the imagination. Do as much or as little as you want and keep the child’s learning level in mind as well.
I did not completely paint any of the rocks because I want them to keep the natural feel as much as possible. I think having aspects of nature in the everyday life is so important for children. (which you can also see an example of in this Rain Stick Sensory Bottle we made)
The name puzzle:
This is the only puzzle with color. I painted the top of the rocks blue and painted the letters JANE over that with yellow. Then I used the same yellow to fill in the spaces underneath. I did not paint the letters on the cardboard because she knows the spelling of her name and that would make it too easy for her.
The alphabet puzzle:
This is the most educationally advanced puzzle and it’s actually a little above Jane’s level. But that’s okay. I painted the rocks and the cardboard spaces white then used a black paint pen to write the uppercase alphabet on the rocks and the lowercase letters on the spaces. Jane can point out both upper and lower case with some letters but not all of them. This will help her learn.
The numbers puzzle:
For this puzzle, I hand painted the numbers 1 through 10 on the rocks in white paint and it took a looooong time. I didn’t have a white paint pen and the black one didn’t show up enough on the bare rock. I learned my mistake and that’s why the alphabet has a white background! The same thing is written on the spaces under the rocks in black marker. The pieces can simply be matched to their spots.
Step 6: Finishing
To seal the rocks and make sure the paint would be durable I painted on 2 coats of Mod Podge. Another option would be a spray-on sealant or other clear top coat.
Another nice finishing touch is a place to store them. A nice way to keep the rocks for each set all together is in little drawstring pouches. Then the boards can be stored on a bookshelf.
Playing with the DIY Rock Puzzles
These can be used in more ways than just the obvious. I have already had Jane match her name pieces with other letter toys and use flashcards with the alphabet one.
There are endless possibilities, here are a few more ideas:
- You could play addition games or spelling games with older kids.
- The rocks can be used without the boards for themed sensory bins.
- Hide the rocks in a sensory filler (rice, fall leaves, kinetic sand, etc) and have your child find them and put them on the puzzle board
- Use only the board and have your child place the correct number of beans into the number puzzle board’s spaces.
- Use alphabet beads or noodles with the letter board.
So many things you can do.
Jane loves these puzzles. They’re fun to make and educational. Your kids can be involved in making them by finding the rocks or even helping paint them. There’s no reason NOT to make these!! So get to it and be sure to let me know how it goes5!
