A bag of smooth pebbles is one of the cheapest craft supplies you can put in front of a child. They don't tear, they don't need to be cut to size, and a four-year-old and a ten-year-old can both use them without anyone feeling like they've been given the baby version. What follows are eight makes that work at home or in a club, split roughly by age, using paint, glue and clay that are safe for children to handle. Read the supervision notes before you start, set up a tray, and the whole thing takes about half an hour.

Choosing and preparing the pebbles

Smooth, rounded pebbles about the size of a two-pound coin are the most useful. Larger flat ones suit mosaics and coasters; small ones are best left in the garden for children under five. If you're collecting, take a handful from a beach or path where it's allowed, leave the rest, and avoid nature reserves or protected sites where removing stones isn't permitted. A bag of garden pebbles from a garden centre costs very little and saves the debate.

Wash the pebbles in warm soapy water, rinse them, and leave them to dry completely — overnight is ideal. Paint and glue won't grip a damp or dusty surface. Sort them loosely by size into tubs so children can pick the right shape without rummaging.

Safety and supervision notes

Pebbles are heavier than they look and hurt when thrown. They are also a choking risk for toddlers, so keep the smallest stones well away from any child under three, including younger siblings at the table.

• Use water-based paints labelled non-toxic, plus PVA glue and air-dry clay. Check the label on anything you haven't used before.
• Work in a ventilated room, and apply any varnish or sealer yourself, outdoors or by an open window.
• Glue guns, strong adhesive and craft wire are adult jobs. So is bending wire ends so nothing sharp is left exposed.
• Children aged four to six need an adult at the table; seven to ten usually just need someone nearby.
• Wash hands after crafting, and cover the table with newspaper or a wipe-clean mat.

Four projects for ages 4 to 6

1. Story stones

Paint one simple image on each of ten to twelve stones: a sun, a tree, a house, a boat, a star, a cat. Keep the shapes bold and let them dry between colours. Then tip them into a bag, pull out three, and ask your child to tell a story linking them. It's a painting activity that turns into a game, and the stones get used again and again.

2. Pebble creatures

A red base coat, a black head, and a scattering of black spots makes a ladybird. Yellow and black stripes make a bee. Green with tiny legs makes a beetle. Paint the body first, let it dry, then add details with a fine brush or a cotton bud. Finish with two small googly eyes fixed with PVA, or simply paint them on if your child would rather eat the glue than use it.

3. Pebble collage pictures

Draw a simple outline on thick card — a fish, an owl, a snail — then brush PVA inside the shape and press pebbles onto it. Thick card matters, because pebbles are heavy and thin paper will curl. Odd-sized stones work well here, so this is the project for the leftovers.

4. Pebble prints in clay

Roll air-dry clay to about a centimetre thick, press pebbles into the surface to make patterns, then lift them out to leave craters and rings. Leave the clay to dry for a day, then paint it if you like. Small rounds make pendants or hanging decorations; a larger circle makes a trinket dish for a bedside table.

Four projects for ages 7 to 10

5. Pebble tic-tac-toe

Choose ten flat stones of similar size. Paint five in one colour with a cross on each, and five in another with a circle. Draw the grid on cardboard, or paint it onto a square of cotton fabric so the set can be rolled up. A small drawstring bag keeps the pieces together, and children this age can usually manage the fine brushwork themselves.

6. Pebble mosaic pot

Cover a terracotta pot with tile adhesive or a strong exterior PVA, then press pebbles into place in rows or spirals. Leave gaps between them for a tidy finish. Once it's fully set — give it a day or two — an adult can press grout into the gaps with a gloved hand and sponge off the excess. Plant it with herbs or leave it as a doorstep decoration.

7. Pebble keyrings and bag charms

Paint and seal a small flat pebble, then let an adult attach a screw eye or wrap craft wire around it and twist a loop at the top. Add a split ring and it's a keyring; add a short length of cord and it's a bag charm. Check that wire ends are tucked in and covered before handing it back.

8. Pebble memory pairs

Paint matching symbols on twelve pairs of stones — two stars, two moons, two leaves, and so on. Turn them face down on the table and take turns to flip two, keeping any pair you match. It's a good rainy-afternoon make because the painting is quick and the game takes longer than the craft.

Drying, sealing and storing

Painted pebbles need a full day to dry, and two thin coats of a water-based sealer will stop colours rubbing off in a pocket or a garden. An adult should apply the sealer in a ventilated space. Store finished stones in a lidded box with a cloth between layers so they don't chip against each other, and write the child's name on the lid if there's more than one crafter in the house.

Clean-up that doesn't take an hour

1. Tip loose pebbles back into their tubs before anything else.
2. Put lids back on paint pots and wipe the rims with a damp cloth.
3. Roll up the newspaper with the worst of the mess inside and bin it.
4. Wash brushes straight away in warm soapy water — dried PVA ruins them.
5. Lay wet projects flat on a shelf out of reach, not on a radiator.
6. Wash hands, and check sleeves and floors for stray stones.

Pick one and get started

If you're new to pebble crafts, story stones and painted creatures are the easiest place to begin: they need only paint, a brush and a dry afternoon. Older children who want something to keep will get more out of the tic-tac-toe set or a mosaic pot. Whatever you choose, put everything on a tray before the children sit down, keep the small stones out of reach of little ones, and let the finished pieces dry somewhere they won't be nudged. The stones will still be in the cupboard next month, ready to be repainted.

Photo: Sunriseforever / Pixabay