Stone tracing art for kids is a simple activity that encourages fine motor skills in children. Plus, it’s a great way to learn color mixing!
Updated March 2025
Tracing is such a key skill for preschoolers to practice and learn. Once a child gets to school they will be expected to be able to hold a pencil and trace letters in order to write.
A great way to encourage this fine motor skill is through engaging drawing activities like tracing. Tracing is especially awesome because it helps children find and learn ways to control the lines they make; my kids have always loved to trace.
Younger children really get a kick out of tracing things, especially lifting them up to see an image that is similar to the object. Even older children enjoy tracing pictures, shadows and patterns because they might not yet have the skills to create such accurate images themselves.
Want to try this stone tracing art for kids? This is what you’ll need.
Begin by asking your child to draw around the outside of the stone. Show them how to hold the pastel if they are very young and unfamiliar.
Direct them to use one hand to keep the stone in place and using their writing hand to keep the pastel next to the edge of the stone as they draw around it. They can even rest slightly on a smooth stone to help keep their hand steady.
Repeat tracing
Repeat the process over again. Have the child move the stone to a different spot on the paper. I like to encourage them to overlap the tracing at some points; this will allow some fun when we get to the painting part of the project.
Maybe they’ll want to use the shapes to create a different image made out of the stone outlines.
Paint
Once your child is finished tracing the stones, it is time to bring out the watercolors. I began by showing them that if we just used red, blue and yellow we could mix other colors.
It is fun to create a bubble of one color and when it overlaps another colored bubble to think about what those two colors will make when mixed together.
What happens if we mix red and yellow? Or red and blue? What if all three colors mix in the middle? We can be art scientists!
Have fun with the paint and let them explore!
And why not have your child see if they can create a picture of something completely different from their stone tracing?
The most important thing to remember is to have fun and let your child explore. So many times, I find my kids will take us in a completely different direction than the plan and I’m always amazed at the creative freedom of a child’s process.
Joanna Walker is the creator behind The Blue Barn which offers art experiences for children, and she teaches preschool art classes part-time. She's a mom to four children ages 13, 11, 9 & 7.
If you'd like to see more ideas from Joanna, you can check out her blog, Blue Barn Living. You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Her favorite place to hang out online is Instagram for the positive, supportive community of each other's creativity– and there is SO much inspiration to be found.
