Our family has a special affinity for Thing One and Thing Two because from the day our twins were born this is how we’ve affectionately addressed them when things get a little “twin-crazy.” This awesome Thing One and Thing Two Painted Rock project is the perfect craft for kids on Dr. Seuss Day and a fun rock to hide for others to find for The Kindness Rocks Project.
If you haven’t heard of Kindness Rocks. it’s a thing people are doing where they paint cool rocks and place them in public areas to be found by others. These rocks can be painted with fun designs (like Thing One and Thing Two) and then have an encouraging note painted on the other side. You could also give your painted rock to someone as a gift or use the stone as an interest-based activity to extend your child’s literacy and art skills. The options are endless.
Dr. Seuss’s characters Thing One and Thing Two are the beloved crazies in the famous Cat in the Hat book. We have a list of 75 Dr. Seuss inspired crafts, games, activities, snacks, and printables (coming soon!) you can use to round out your celebration of Dr. Seuss Day after you make your painted rocks! Dr. Seuss Day is celebrated on March 2nd, however, we feel that any day is a great day to celebrate his amazing work in your homeschool or classroom!
Instructions for Creating a Thing One and Thing Two Painted Rock
For each person making this Dr. Seuss-inspired painted rock, you will need one mostly flat rock like these, a pencil, and four paint pens in red, black, white and blue. Our example was done with Posca pens. You can seal the rocks with spray varnish or Modge-Podge.
You will start by making a rough outline in pencil like the one shown here. Next, you will fill in the white paint since that will form the bottom layer. Its best to outline first, and then fill it in with color.
Then you fill in each section with color – blue for the hair and red for the rest of the body. This is where you can really start to see Thing One and Thing Two take shape. Don’t worry about getting them perfect, but if you make a mistake you can’t tolerate, simply wash the rock and start again. The beauty of this step is that much will be covered up when you create the outline at the end!
Finish by using the black pen to add the outline first and then add the detail on the face and clothing. Now you have the ever-adorable Thing One and Thing Two in full color on your rock! Once dry, you will want to seal your rock with a spray varnish or Modge-Podge, especially if it will be a Kindness Rock out in the elements. We’ve got step-by-step instructions for your Thing One and Thing Two Painted Rocks on a printable card!
Want even more Seuss-Inspired fun? Click here to get your free Seuss-Inspired PreK Printable from Encouraging Moms at Home
You’ll find the printable directions for our Thing One and Thing Two Painted Rocks down below!
Dr. Seuss Inspired! Thing One and Thing Two Painted Rock
Ingredients
- One Flat Rock
- Sharpened Pencil
- Posca Pens – Red, Blue, White, and Black
- Spray Varnish or Modge Podge
Instructions
- Find a nice flat rock for your Thing 1 and Thing 2 painting project. You can purchase bags of stones online.
- Using the pencil, draw the outline of Thing 1 and Thing 2.
- Outline the face of Thing 1 and Thing 2 with a white Posca pen.
- Next, fill in your character’s face and the circles on their body with the white Posca pen.
- Use a blue Posca pen to color in Thing One’s hair. Repeat for Thing 2.
- Color the bodies in with a red Poscsa paint pen.
- Using the black Posca pen, outline Thing One and Thing Two.
- Next, add a mouth, nose, eyes, and eyebrows. It is best to use a thin black Posca pen for details but you can use a thicker pen if that’s all you have.
- Once the paint is dry, spray your rock with a thin coat of varnish or coat with Modge-Podge to seal it.
- Your painted rock is completed!
What a fun project to make. Kindness rocks are fantastic and send a great message to our kids. My daughter recently made some rocks and took them to school for her friends.