Rock painting: an imagination-stimulating, creativity-inspiring craft your kids can do at home

As we start to see more and more of that lovely spring sunshine, it’s harder and harder to say inside. This fun camp craft will give you the taste of nature your family’s been craving!

When we do it at YMCA Day Camp, this fun art activity really lets campers get creative. We usually set a theme, like rock monsters or rock pets, so we end up with a whole little family of rock creatures. You can do the same at home, or let your kids have a free for all and paint whatever they'd like.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Smooth rocks (we suggest a few per child)


• Acrylic paint


• Paint brushes


• Paint trays (one per child)


• Water containers (one per child)


• Googly eyes


• Leaves and other natural materials (only if you have a safe, low-traffic spot to gather them, like your own backyard)


• Aprons (one per child)


• A permanent marker


• A hot glue gun (we recommend adults handle the glue gun if you have small children)

Here’s how to do it

1. Suit everyone up in their aprons to make sure they don’t get paint on their clothes. We also recommend wearing clothes that can get a little dirty, since we all know aprons can’t catch all the mess.


2. Let everyone choose the rock they’d like to transform into a masterpiece.


3. Pour the paint into paint trays, and the water into water containers so your artists can clean their brushes between colours. We suggest an adult do the pouring, if you’re crafting with younger kids, to minimize spills.


4. Have everyone write their name on the bottom of the rock using a permanent marker.


5. Go wild! Paint, decorate, and bring your rock creations to life. If you're looking for cute themes, try ladybugs, your favourite foods, or emojis.


6. Let everything dry before you put your rock paintings on display. They can go indoors, on your mantle or in your kids' rooms, or you can use them to decorate your garden.

Now let’s talk rock :)

While everyone is busy painting their rocks, here are some interesting tidbits you can share to make this creative time a learning opportunity.

• A rock is a solid made up of a bunch of different minerals. Rocks are typically not uniform or made up of exact structures that can be described by scientific formulas. Scientists generally classify rocks by how they were made or formed. There are three major types of rocks: metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary.


• Rocks can tell us about what Earth was like in the past. They can indicate if a particular part of the Earth was under the ocean or on a mountaintop. Scientists also use them to help determine if the atmosphere was thick or thin and whether the climate was warm or cold at a given time.


• Learning about how the Earth existed in the past allows scientists to learn how it works in the present and is likely to work in the future. As an example, geologists use rocks to determine how temperature changes affected Earth and life on Earth in the past. This helps scientists understand how global climate change is affecting the planet.


• Many reptiles, insects, and organisms live and hide under rocks, such as snakes and worms. Rocks are also helpful in reducing the acidity of water, which helps keep it clean and safe for fish and other aquatic animals to live in.

Have a blast bringing your rock creations to life! If your campers want to show theirs off, share photos with us on Facebook or Twitter @YMCAGTA.