Looking for a fun summer camp craft for kids? Here’s how to paint rocks in acrylic. Learn everything you need to know about rock painting for kids!

These pretty painted rocks are both fun to create and super simple.

I’m in charge of crafts this year at church camp, so I wanted to come up with a fun craft idea that would be easy and fun for kids of all ages.

how to paint rocks with acrylic - rock painted with a palm tree in black acrylic paint

Rock painting definitely fit the bill. The process is quite simple, but yet can yield some amazing results based on the talent of the painter.

So, let’s jump right into it.

Here’s How to paint rocks in acrylic – a beginner’s guide to rock painting.

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Supplies Needed for Painting Rocks

For this rock painting craft idea you will need the following:

acrylic paint in a variety of colors, a paint palette, paint brush, mug, and rocks
  • Smooth Rocks
  • Acrylic Paint in a variety of both bright colors and neutrals – black and white paint are a must!
  • Paintbrushes in a variety of sizes
  • Water Cup – We used old coffee mugs
  • A Plastic Tablecloth or Newspapers – for possible messes while painting rocks
  • Rust-oleum 2x Ultra Cover Gloss Clear – to make rocks weatherproof
  • Optional – Paint Tray Palettes – to help reduce wasting paint
  • Optional:  acrylic paint pens or paint markers
  • Optional – pictures of painted rocks to inspire your artist – this rock painting book is cool

Once you have your supplies gathered, it’s time to paint rocks!

How to Paint Rocks

First, take your smooth rocks and wash them thoroughly. This is will help the paint adhere to the rock easily.

If you are washing a big load of rocks (like I was) clean a spot on some concrete outside. Then use a garden hose to spray the rocks clean. I like to let them dry in the sun before bringing them inside.

If you only have to wash a few rocks, you can do so inside, but be sure to allow them to dry thoroughly before you paint them.

Next, lay down newspapers or a plastic tablecloth where the children will be painting to avoid getting paint on your table.

I set up paint tray palettes for the kids to use as well as mugs of water to wash out brushes. We only added a little paint to each section as they worked to avoid wasting paint.

Once your supplies are ready, go ahead and allow the kids to decorate the rocks. Depending on the color of the rock, you might need multiple coats of paint to really make the colors pop. I found that white rocks were quite easy to work with while the black rocks took more patience and more coats of paint.

child painting white rock with blue paint

I think the key to getting a good result with rock painting is allowing your layers of paint plenty of time to dry before adding the next detail.

So, for example, if you are making eyes on a ladybug, let the white of the eyes dry completely before you try to add the black pupil.

Kids might get impatient if they are only doing one rock, but it’s pretty easy to let layers of paint dry if you are doing a set of rocks.

painted rocks with acrylic including a bee, strawberry, joy, heart, and palm tree

I had my kids paint a first coat of paint on all 5 of their rocks. Once that was done, they were able to continue back to the first rock and paint the next layer.

This helped with keeping the kids occupied and engaged in the activity.

How to Preserve the Painted Rocks Outdoors

After the rocks have been painted and the acrylic paint is dry, you can add a coat of outdoor sealant to help keep your rock painting from washing away in the rain or from fading in the sunlight.

gloss clear 2x ultra cover sealant by Rust-oleum

We used Rust-Oleum 2x Ultra Cover gloss clear spray sealer to preserve our rock art so that it is ready for outdoor use.

I found that it was pretty much mess-free if I put the rocks in a box with low sides before spraying.

I sprayed the rocks in the box outside and then moved them to our well-ventilated garage to dry (mostly to keep our cat and other critters away from them!)

Note: Make sure you don’t overload your box if you intend to pick it up and move it. Rocks are quite heavy and can easily break through a box.

spraying painted rocks with gloss spray

Your painted rocks are finished!  Kids might enjoy placing the rocks in their own flower garden.  

Many people like to create kindness rocks which is when someone puts a painted rock in a local park for others to find it and keep or re-hide it.  Sometimes you can find a local rock hiding group on social media to track your rocks.  

painted rocks surrounding a daisy plant

Painted rocks can also be a great way for kids to share an inspirational message with others and they can be great gifts for a parent or grandparent.

We like to put ours in our flower garden as cute little accents!

FAQ

What kind of rocks do you use for rock painting?

Decorative rocks or river rocks from home improvement stores work well for rock painting.  

The surface of the rock needs to be smooth so that the painting process is easier.  A rough surface will take more coats of paint to cover versus smooth small rocks.

Where do you buy rocks for rock painting?

We used two different types of river stone rocks from Menards.

We bought both the Carbon Black Polished Pebbles and the Mixed Beach Pebbles. The black flat rocks worked really well for painting fun designs with small details.

However, I personally preferred the Mixed Beach Pebbles because even though they were more round, there were lots of fun sizes to work with and the rocks weren’t so dark, so they needed less coats of paint for the colors to really pop.

You can also find rock painting rocks on Amazon.


Rock Painting Ideas

Here’s some easy rock painting ideas!

Smiley faces are always so much fun. You could also do emojis or a favorite cartoon character.  

Insects like bees, ladybugs, and butterflies make beautiful rock ideas.

Need a simple but fun rock painting idea?  Writing a positive message on with white acrylic paint really makes it pop.

A solid color heart with fine detail dots around it is a fun idea.

We loved this palm tree with a sunset! Such a beautiful rock painting idea.

painted rocks on wood chips

Fruits and vegetables are a fun way to decorate rocks with craft paint. We made a strawberry!

Kids of all ages might enjoy creating Monster Rocks or Animals. My girls made an owl and a bunny.

More Summer Crafts

Looking for more fun ideas for summer kids crafts?

There’s 3 Free Happy Summer Coloring Pages here. Instantly download this fun summer themed pages for some relaxing fun.

Don’t miss this super easy Bottle Cap Keychain craft! Kids of all ages will enjoy creating one of a kind keychains for their backpacks or purses.

You can find an easy paper S’mores Craft here. It’s the perfect simple craft for a camping theme.

Want to save this acrylic rock painting craft idea for kids? Pin the image below to save it for later!

easy rock painting for kids - painted rocks - one with the word Joy in white, and a palm tree on an orange background.