Ladybugs Vs. Tadpoles Outdoor Tic Tac Toe Game

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by DecoArt as part of their Core Blogger Program and includes affiliate links.

The Ladybugs have started out the summer fun and games season with a strong 5-0 record under the guidance of Coach Jackson, but the rival Tadpoles are poised for a comeback!

I mentioned before that we’re a little bit competitive when it comes to games, right? But win, lose or draw, we’ve been having a blast playing with this cute-as-a-button outdoor tic tac toe game I painted using Patio Paint from DecoArt.

So much cuter than X’s and O’s!

 

I’ve been waiting to make one of these tic tac toe games every since we played a similar version during our trip to the North Carolina mountains last fall.

You can paint your own version in an afternoon, and the kids can even help with this one. They’ll have a blast decorating the tadpoles and ladybugs!

Supplies:

Patio Paint 2 oz. – Robin’s Egg Blue
Patio Paint 2 oz. – Fern Green
Patio Paint 2 oz. – Wrought Iron Black
Patio Paint 2 oz – Sunshine Yellow
Patio Paint 2 oz – Citrus Green
Patio Paint 2 oz – Geranium Red
Patio Paint 2 oz – Cloud White
Patio Paint 2 oz – Sprout Green
Large Basswood round plank
Assorted paint brushes
10 smooth rocks
wax paper or paint palatte

Instructions:

Paint the basswood round wooden plank with two coats of Patio Paint in Robin’s Egg Blue.

Paint half the rocks with Citrus Green Patio Paint and half with Geranium Red Patio Paint. Use 2-3 coats for full coverage, then repeat on the other side of the rocks.

When paint has dried on the wooden plank, paint a grid of nine lily pads — three rows of three. (To make a lily pad, draw a heart with a rounded base instead of a point.) I used a mix of Patio Paint in Sprout Green and Fern Green for my lily pads.

Once rocks have dried completely, decorate the red rocks to look like ladybugs, using Wrought Iron Black and Cloud White Patio Paint.

Paint eyes on the green rocks using Cloud White and Sunshine Yellow Patio Paint. Randomly decorate the tadpoles with spots in Sprout Green and Fern Green Patio Paint.

Allow to dry completely before playing your first game of tic tac toe.

While Patio Paint is weather and water resistant, let paint cure 72 hours before exposing to moisture.

Those ladybugs are some tough competitors.

It’s getting serious.

But I’m telling you, those tadpoles are poised for a comeback!

Ok, maybe not!

If you want to make your own outdoor tic tac toe game, be sure to pin the image below.

Be sure to check out my other painting crafts and projects at the DecoArt blog.