Life Cycle of a Frog Painted Rocks

These life cycle of a frog painted rocks show how to paint frog eggs, a tadpole, a froglet, and a frog for sequencing in early learning.

We love using story stones in early learning. The tactile experience of holding and playing with an object as an aid to retell a story is incredible helpful to memory. 

Sequencing is an important aspect of learning and literacy, and these life cycle of a frog painted rocks help children place the stones in the correct order, further understanding the metamorphosis of tadpole to frog. These story stones are perfect for the book, the Tale of a Tadpole.

Life Cycle of a Frog Painted Rocks

We use story stones in two ways:

1. to re-tell a previously read story
2. to assist in making and creating a new story

These frog life cycle story stones help children order the life of a frog, from egg, to tadpole, to froglet and to frog. 

How to Paint the Frog Life Cycle Story Stones

These are painted in a very basic manner on flat river rocks. Easy for beginner rock painters, but colorful and fun for children to play with. 

What you need for the frog story stones:

Tale of a Tadpole

9 flat rocks

Posca paint pens

See the video at the top of this page for the step-by-step rock painting:

Frog Egg Painted Rocks

Simply paint white circles and place a black dot in the middle.

Outline the circles with a thin point Sharpie or paint pen. These are very simply to make, and really resemble frog eggs!

Tadpole Painted Rock

For the tadpole, start with a circle body and a thin wavy tail in green.

Add some yellow on the outline of the tail, and then paint with more green over the yellow before it dries. 

This will blend the colors to make a lighter green like the transparent area of a tadpole tail.

Add a cute eye and a smile to the tadpole and outline in black. 

Froglet Painted Rock

The froglet is the last of the tadpole stages. The tadpole has grown legs and still has a tail. Draw the basic shape of a frog, but less rounded and with a tail remaining, and draw 4 legs, all in green.

Add some dimension of color by adding more yellow and green blended together, just like with the tadpole. 

Add an eye and a smile, along with a few bumps on the back and an outline in black. 

Frog Painted Rock

Make a shape similar to the froglet, but without a tail and with a more defined back leg that looks like it could hop off the rock! 

Again, add an eye and a smile with some bumps on the frog before and outline in black. Ta-da! Your frog is complete!

Complete the Frog Life Cycle Story Stone Set

In addition to the 4 life cycle stones painted above, paint 4 small rocks with arrows on them, and a frog pond. 

These make the sequencing easier for little ones to complete. 

Read the book the Tale of a Tadpole to children, and provide them with the life cycle painted rocks, and see if they can recreate the life of a tadpole! 

More Frog Life Cycle Resources and Activities

In addition to the frog painted rocks, we have a printable frog life cycle puzzle and activity pack, a printable frog life cycle board game, and a frog life cycle sensory bin. 

What a fun way to learn about the life cycle of a frog through play!