Kids and Painting Are Almost Synonymous
When I think of paint, I think of vibrant colors, amazing designs, wonderful use of imagination, and a great big mess at the end of the day. That also describes my kids very well. But combining the two can have spectacular results. Or chaotic ones. You never really know. But the one thing I know about my kids is they love to paint. And what better way to paint than to add some vibrant colors to your garden by adding painted rocks.
Now, I know this may sound crazy to some people, painted rocks? What are we doing? But desperate times call for desperate measures. And when your kids are at home all day long, they need different outlets to expend physical and mental energy as well as creative outlets to learn new skills. I mean, they can not be either learning all day or outside on the swings all day long. They need something more, and doing crafts is one way to help them expand their horizons. And doing crafts outdoors is much more preferred than indoors.
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What You Need:
- Rocks – You need rocks of all shapes and sizes. I have potato stones in my backyard that work great. But if you do not have your own stones, they can always be found on hikes, in parks, or purchased at gardening stores.
- Paint – You will need lots and lots of paint. I use this stuff. It works well, but it is permanent, so it does not wash off clothes, or patio stones, so beware.
- An area you are willing to give up for several hours to get messy and covered in paint.
Let’s Begin!
Set up Your Paint Station
This is the most important part of paint activities, as you want everything covered to protect it from the paint.
If you are working inside, lining your tables or work area with newspapers is a great way to go. I also use old sheets to cover the chairs to keep them clean.
If you are working outside, using an old sheet on the ground will work great. Then you only have one thing to clean up.
Make sure you tell your kids they need to stay in their workspace while painting. You do not want this mess walking around.
Select Your Rocks
As I mentioned above, I have rocks in my garden, but not everyone is so lucky. So you need to collect rocks. This can be an activity on its own.
The day before we were planning to paint, my kids were out in the garden picking out the perfect rocks from the garden.
Start Painting!
Let your kids start painting!
If you are lucky, this activity can take several hours. If you are unlucky, this activity will be done in 30 seconds. So you have to plan this right.
Let your kids enjoy painting. You can help them pick out colors or let them do it themselves.
Also, it is nice to add in your own painted rock or two. This will help with encouraging your kids to keep painting longer if you are involved.
And That’s It! You’re Done!
Final Thoughts
Even though we have only started this painting activity, here are some of the things we have learned along the way:
- We have a vision of painted rocks all over our garden. So this activity will provide endless entertainment throughout the summer and years to come.
- Inviting the neighborhood kids over for a craft is a great idea. This will also help grow your painted rock collection faster.
- If you do not have a garden, rocks can be found in all places, like forests and parks (but do not go stealing them from your neighbor’s gardens!).
- Last year, all of our painted rocks ended up on a public trail we would walk. This was to give people an extra smile on their faces when out for a walk.
- The paint will come off and fade after time. Water-based paints will wash off faster. If you are leaving your rocks in the woods or trails, try to be mindful of this, as you do not want to pollute the area with paint. Try to find earth-friendly paint, if you can.
- If you do this activity outside, you will have an easier clean-up job.
- This activity can be done over several days or weeks. My kids have started painting rocks one week and continued the following week. It is like a never-ending painting extravaganza.
Was this Post Helpful?
I know, I know, painted rocks? Who would have thought, but parents are always in need of activity ideas for their kids. And if you are one of those parents, I hope this post was helpful. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
If you liked this kids activity, check out other like it here.
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I LOVE your blog! So many fun ideas! This is a great idea for the days that I watch my nieces and nephews – I imagine gathering the rocks would be just as fun!
thanks for the great idea
Thanks so much! I try to keep my kids busy, so I know others are in the same boat! I hope you get to try this idea with your nieces and nephews!
So cute, colours bring cheerfulness specially
for children..
It really helps to add some personality to our garden!
I love painted rocks. Last year, there was a trend of putting painted rocks along our neighborhood walking trails. They made me smile every time I went for a walk.
We have that in our area as well. My kids are having a hard time figuring out which rocks to donate to our local trail as they love them all so much.
Great idea! My toddler loves collecting rocks. I’m sure he’ll enjoy painting them just as much. Thanks for sharing
Let me know how it turns out!
Thanks for the creative article filled with all of your information on how to paint rocks!
My kids loved it! Hopefully you can try it with someone as well.
I think painted rocks are synonymous with childhood! I have just added „rock painting“ to our Summer bucket list – thanks for the reminder!
It’s great fun! And you can always circle back to it and do it some more! My kids are already picking out the next set of rocks for when we do it again.
Yay! My little and I just painted some rocks yesterday! Great way to create memories and decorate the garden.
That’s so wonderful to hear! Hopefully you can do it again next year and see the progress!
Such a great idea, thank you for sharing. I have seen them around, but never had the motivation to do this myself with my daughter, so this was just the right push!
It’s so much fun! I hope you are able to try it!