Kids Painting Activities: Paint Onto Rocks!

Are you having a hard time thinking of new and fun activities to keep your kids entertained? It’s not always easy to find an engaging activity that will help you and your little ones bond, but do not fret! Here’s a fun and creative way to spend time with your kids using rocks and paint!

Rocks? You heard that right! You might not think that rocks can be used for painting, but here’s how you can utilise them for this activity! 

Step 1: Go rock hunting!

If you live near a river or some rocky parks, go hunting for some various-sized pebbles! If you want smooth rocks or rough rocks, that’s on you! It’ll be fun to use different textured rocks to make it a challenge! 

After picking your rocks, head on to your study or art area and grab some acrylic paint and some other materials! Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Rocks
  • Acrylic paints of your choice of colours
  • Brushes of different variety
  • Cup with water
  • Pencil
  • Disposable table cloth
  • Old clothes

Make sure your little ones wear old clothes so that they don't bother staining with paint!

Step 2: Spring clean those rocks!

Clean your rocks before painting on them! Wash them with plain soap and water, then dry them with a clean cloth. Make sure there aren't any dirt residue on your rocks to prevent it from mixing with the paint!

Step 3: Paint your rocks!

To begin painting on your rocks, paint your base layer first. You can choose any colours you like! Encourage your child to be creative, they can even choose multiple colours if they want, create any patterns, etc. If they want to paint the whole rock let the first layer dry first before applying paint to the other side. Let the paint set first before drawing on the rocks. 

Depending on how opaque your paint is, you might need a second coat to make your base layer thicker, do this when your first layer is dry.

Step 4: Put on some silly faces!

Using a pencil, trace an outline for the eyes and mouth first. When your little ones are satisfied with their faces, use some white paint to dot them on the eyes and mouth. If your child wants to add more detail like a nose, teeth, tongue, or ears, guide them on how to paint them on. Let them dry once more and add some details like the pupils using black paint and a smaller detailing brush. Let them be creative and choose which details they want to add! 

If your child wants to paint something else other than faces, you can always suggest painting some flowers, or even some ladybugs on it!

If they want to paint some flowers, start with the middle of the flower first using a dark colour, then add five or more petals around the base of the flower. Let them choose which colour they want to use so their painting is customised to their liking. 

To paint a ladybug, on the top of the rock paint a black circle before painting a straight line across the rock. Add a few dots on each side of the line to mimic the pattern of a ladybug, then use white to add some eyes where you added the black circle. And finally adding some black for the pupils!

Painting activities at home don’t have to be boring! We hope you try this tutorial out with your kids. If you liked this easy painting activity with rocks, check out our other easy beginner-friendly tutorials on our news page. If you are looking for a kids birthday party or kids painting day, click on those links!