Here at Country Living, we love any pastime that combines nature and creativity, which is why this activity especially rocks. (Heh, heh.) First, collect an assortment of (preferably smooth) stones (20 to 25, roughly). Next, using paint pens, draw a range of icons that you'll ultimately use to help craft together a story. For example, take your pick from the list below:
Shown Ideas:
Spider
Snake
Firefly
Butterfly
Bear
Crown
Heart
Campfire
Shamrock
Tree
Flower
Moon & Stars
Lightning Bolt
Tire Swing
Canoe
Music Notes
Cabin
Arrow
Apple
"Do Not" Sign
Additional Ideas:
Animal Tracks
Umbrella
Magic Wand
Frog
Bridge
One-Eyed Monster
Picnic Basket
Balloon
Pumpkin
Book
Phone
Once you have your painted stone assortment, each player picks four to five stones that they'll use to create a story. (The player can strategically select their preferences or, for more of a challenge, draw them out of a bag at random.) After everyone shares their story, each player can distribute their own stones to their favorite storyteller(s). (No, you can't vote on your own!) Whoever winds up with the most stones at the end of the game wins.
For example, if a player selects Crown, Tree, Lightning Bolt, Cabin, and Music Notes, their story could go something like this.
Once upon a time there was a princess [CROWN] who very much wanted to be a regular girl. She fled her castle into the woods [TREE] with the hope of skipping out on her family's boring royal ball. But then a storm came [LIGHTNING BOLT] and she was frightened, so she ran for shelter at a nearby house [CABIN]. It turns out the cabin belonged to music producers, who recognized that the girl had singing talent [MUSIC NOTES]. They took her in, and that little girl grew up to be Taylor Swift.
