This is a great kids art activity created by Sara Impey, recent graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and our Summer Program Coordinator. When you are finished you will have a checkerboard and game pieces you can take with you anywhere!

Materials you will need:

• 8’ Square piece of heavy fabric or light canvas- trimmed with pinking shears
• Spray sealant – (optional, keeps the paint from showing through the fabric and helps waterproof. Parent should do this ahead of time)
• White Tempura Paint
• Colored Tempura paint in 2 contrasting colors
• 2x 1’ square sponge
• 24 rocks, 2 colors – 12 each (decorative glass stones from the craft store work great!)
• Paint brush
• Ribbon, for closing the bag
• Hole Punch

Prepare your Board: (Optional Step)

If you are using sealant, take your fabric that has been cut with pinking shears (so the fabric edges don’t fray or unravel) outside and spray on the side of the material with the pattern. Sealant fumes aren’t good for you, so don’t do this inside or around the kids! Let dry flat then air out for several days.

Creating your Game Board:

Take a sponge and dip it in one color. Start in the corner on the fabric and press down create a painted 1’ square.

Take your other sponge and dip it in the second color. Press this square next to the first square. Keep alternating colors until you have finished your first row. There should be 8 1’ squares per row.

Start the next row with the opposite color. If you started with a blue square for the first row, start with a red square for the second row. Continue until you have filled your board with alternating colored squares. Set boards aside to dry.

Creating your game pieces:

Turn your rocks over so the bottoms are facing up. Sort into colors. Take one set of 12 and paint them with dots of one color. Repeat with a different colour for the other set. Now, the sides without the dots are regular pieces, and the dotted sides are Kinged pieces! Just flip your piece over when you manage to king it!

Assembly:

Once your board and stones are dry, hole punch 3 evenly spaced holes a short distance in from the edge of the board on two opposite sides. Place your stones in the middle of the board. Fold up one side towards the

middle and then bring in the other side. Bring together the edges in the middle and it will form a pouch. Feed ribbon through the holes and tie.

Simple Instructions

Tying up the board, Step 1

Tying up the board, Step 2

Tying up the board, Step 3

Your Checkerboard is finished and ready to take with you on your adventures. This would be a great addition to a “Creativity To-Go” Toolkit!

The Finished Product!