Once in a while in an ordinary life, Stonework fairytales can happen. It is never ending. You can turn on the tele for your child, who will then be a passive recipient, or you can get out the stones and let your child be a an active participant. You decide. For best results, designate a place for Stonework Play to occur. What I find so amazing is the joy children experience when doing Stonework Play, their attention focused, the calmness that comes over a child engaged with stones. I often see a child gently lift a stone up to his or her face, the mere tactile sensation of feeling the different stones and/or a little rock is that moment when the child connects with nature, with the elegance and peace that natural objects inspire. According to the well-known international infant-toddler specialist, the late Magda Gerber, “Children don’t play because they learn, they play because they play.” What does that mean to you? If you believe in play that puts children in touch with the natural world, stonework may be that special activity. It is that simple.

 The first thing I do is display the stones in an appealing way so that children are curious about them and are drawn to them. Stones can be separated by size, color, and texture, and placed in durable containers, such as wooden trays, which can be located outdoors and indoors. Material cloth can add an added dimension of beauty.

I like to start by holding up a rock and reciting this poem:

 I wish I was a little rock, A-sittin’ on a hill, A-doin’ nothin’ all day long, Just a-sittin’ still. I wouldn’t eat, I wouldn’t sleep, I wouldn’t even wash, I’d just sit and sit a thousand years, and rest myself, A-gosh. (Author unknown)

If a computer laptop is available, I will show a few minutes of the You-Tube video titled “Five Birthday Cakes,” which illustrates my experience with Stonework Play in Nepal. Once we start, I share there will be no talking. Playing soft music can relax the children, letting their imaginations emerge in high relief. Dr. Jeffrey Thompson’s “Creative Mind System” includes two songs you might like: “Creative Insight” and “Inner Genius.”

Once the stone pictures are finished, I give all of the artists paper and pencil so they can capture their stone drawing on paper. I encourage each child to draw what he actually sees — the stones he or she arranged. Then I ask each child to name his or her picture, and to tell the story that the art illustrates. Depending on the age, I am the scriber.

Children or adults go on a “museum walk” around the classroom or outside setting so they can look at each stonework masterpiece, and then listen to the stories.                                                                                

If possible, I leave the stone creations in place. If not, I ask the children to return the stones into the containers so they can do stonework play projects another day.