Make Concrete Stepping Stone Mosaics

Looking to spruce up that old pathway? It can easily be turned into a toe-tapping delight, filled with colorful mosaics, embellished with easy-to-find materials: buttons, beads, broken pottery, and seashells. These fancy-looking, yet simple, decorative patterns can be made out of just about anything! Your child will find joy in expressing her creative side with a pretty decoration, especially one that's in the spotlight every time guests arrive! Not to mention, she'll get a chance to experiment with a truly unique medium—concrete.

What You Need:

• Small bag of quick-set concrete
• Square plastic container
• Small plastic bucket and shovel
• Cooking spray
• Beads, shells, rocks, buttons, and bits of broken pottery

What You Do:

1. Help your child mix the quick-set concrete in the plastic bucket, by following the directions on the bag. Ask her to use the shovel to mix the concrete, until it takes on the consistency of cookie dough. Since it's formulated to set quickly, she'll have about 30 minutes before it becomes too dry to work with.
2. Next, ask her to coat the square plastic container liberally with cooking spray; this will help the concrete mosaic slide out once it's dry.
3. Have her use the small shovel to scoop the mixed concrete from the bucket into the plastic container. Make sure to fill the container at least 2 inches deep, for a sturdy stepping stone. She can use the back of the shovel to smooth the top of the concrete.
4. Encourage her to create an interesting design using the beads, buttons, shells and bits of pottery. She can use a repeating design, or creatively place the objects on the stone as she chooses.
5. Once the mosaic is finished, have her smooth out the concrete and secure all the items in place. She can simply coat her hands with cooking spray to keep the concrete from sticking to her hands.
6. Place the finished concrete mosaic in the sun or a warm. Wait for it to set; quick-set concrete needs about 2–4 hours to properly dry, before it can be slid out of its mold. Before placing the concrete mosaic outdoors, allow it to set for an additional 24 hours.
7. Finally, help her find the perfect spot to showcase her finished concrete mosaic!