How to Paint Rocks - Painted Rock Village

If you're on the hunt for some easy rock painting ideas - you'll have a blast making this rock village. Follow our simple rock painting tutorial to learn how to paint rocks and make a set of rock houses, rock shops and rock cars for your toddler or preschooler to play with. We have included details of the best paint for rocks, about sealing rocks and a few rock painting design ideas.

How to paint rocks




After learning how to paint rocks check out these other easy rock painting ideas:



Easy rock painting ideas

This painted rock village activity is GREAT for playdates. Older children will love learning how to paint rocks themselves and toddlers are preschoolers will love playing with them. This is a really easy rock painting idea, but so much fun with lots of opportunities to add your own personal touches!

Scroll down below to get started making your own painted rock village!

how to paint rocks




How to paint rocks and make a painted rock village


What are the best paints for rocks?



The best paint for rocks is acrylic paint, we have included links to our favourite acrylic paints below. Alternatively you can use acrylic paint pens. As well as using acrylic paint you will need to use a sealer spray if you want to leave your painted rocks outdoors. 


Rock painting supplies:


I've supplied links to Amazon for easy purchasing! Just click the links below to be taken to the product pages! We are a participant in the Amazon Service LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliates sites.


(Note: you can optionally use acrylic paint pens instead of acrylic paints and brushes just like we did for the painted rock fairy houses activity.)


Directions for how to paint rocks:


STEP 1: Gather your rocks


Before you get started - go rock hunting! Take your little ones out to pick out the rocks you will painting on. 

When choosing rocks, pay attention to the texture, shape, and surface area you will need for what you want to paint on them. Don't be afraid to get a variety of textures as different textures will work for different things! You may want a smooth surface for a painting of a car but a rock with a rough edges might be great for a mountain range.

Encourage your toddlers and preschoolers to spot out rocks that are the same shapes as a house or a car, for example. You can really have fun with this step.

(If you are unable to find good painting rocks, you can also purchase rocks for painting on Amazon!)

STEP 2: Wash and clean your rocks


Once you have your rocks,  it's time to make sure they are free of any dirt and debris before painting. Take a bit of dish soap and give them a good scrub so the paint will go on nice and easy. Then wait for them to dry or place them out in the sun!

STEP 3: Gather your remaining supplies


Now that you have cleaned your rocks, make sure to gather up all your supplies so you have them easily available as you paint your rocks. If you are planning to use paints and brushes as pictured, it helps to prepare your paints in a paint palette or paper plate ahead of time.

Also - make sure to have a variety of paintbrushes or paint pens available to help you with the small details in your paintings.

best paint for rocks

STEP 4: Prepare your rocks


Optionally, paint a layer of white paint onto your rocks to get more vibrant colours that pop. Then, start sketching your village onto the rocks using a pencil. 

There are so many things you can paint! Paint a mix of cars, trucks, school buses, houses, buildings, stores, parks, stoplights, etc. You can even pick out some favourite local places to sketch out on your rocks.

There really are no limits! Let your preschoolers and toddlers help you sketch out some of their favourite places.

Easy rock painting ideas

STEP 5: Paint your fun rock village


Now it's time to fill in your sketches with paint! Using your paint brush or acrylic pen, start filling in your sketches. You can either paint each rock all at once or do one colour at a time amongst all your rocks - it all comes down to what you prefer.

For easier painting, outline the drawings first and then go back and fill it in. You can even paint the outlines and have your toddlers and preschoolers fill them in!

How to paint rocks

STEP 6: Sealing rocks


Lastly, once your acrylic paint has dried seal your rocks with sealer spray. This will create a layer over the paintings on your rocks so the paint doesn't chip or wash off.

sealing rocks

Kids of all ages from toddlers and preschoolers upwards will have so much fun with these easy rock painting ideas! Now you know how to paint rocks you can have fun trying out some more of your own fun rock painting ideas. We would love to see what you make!

Easy rock painting ideas for kids. How to paint rocks and the best paint for rocks

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