50 Rock Painting Ideas to Try On Your Own or With the Kiddos
Updated on March 1, 2021
Unlike many projects you can do with your kids, painting rocks is something you can do anytime, anywhere. As long as you find some cool rocks, you’re good to go.
If your kid is anything like mine, they’ll be collecting rocks every time they go out in the park, claiming it’s going up in “the collection.” So, what better idea than to paint them up – at least you’re using them for something decorative instead of just keeping them there, collecting dust.
We’re going to show you 50 cool things you can paint on the rocks you collected. Keep in mind that before you even start, it’s always best to clean your rocks with a rough brush to remove any dust and other things you could find on them. Also, you could use a spray sealer before even painting them, to make them less absorbent of the paint and/or markers you’re using. Of course, it would help to start off with smooth rocks in the first place.
Rock Painting Ideas
1. Penguins
We’re kicking off the list with some adorable penguins. If you manage to find flat rocks in several sizes, you can make a penguin family, like @j_de-jugar did! They’re so cute, you’ll want more and more.
2. Emojis
Emojis are a great bout of inspiration, especially for the little ones. From the heart eyes to the winky face, there’s a host of different things that you can paint all from glancing at the keyboard on your phone. Check out these cuties at Living Rich With Coupons.
3. Owls
Owls can be a pretty cute bout of inspiration as well. We found these owl painted rocks at Family Days Tried and Tested and knew they needed to be featured. You can get so creative and really personalize each painting.
4. Colorblock
Alisa Burke made some super trendy rock magnets for her fridge and we’re in love. We love the colorblocking and pattern mixing. It’s a great project that inspires some fun rock painting!
5. M&M’s
We’re betting on the kids really getting a kick out of this one. You can turn your rocks into their favorite candy treat! Just check out the details by visiting A Girl & A Glue Gun.
6. Strawberries
Hodge Podge Craft went with some strawberry designs and we’re loving them too. They’re so sweet and charming, you could even display the finished product in an apothecary jar throughout he summertime. Take the leap and gather your inspiration.
7. Monsters
Makoodle created some monster rocks that we are sure the kiddos will fall in love with too. Make sure that you have a package of googly eyes with your paint. And then, let them get creative with their faces!
8. Pumpkins
If fall is coming to call, why not use the season as your inspiration? These pumpkin rocks from I Love Painted Rocks are just too adorable. And we’re fairly certain that the kiddos are going to love creating all the different jack-o-lantern faces.
9. Christmas
Just like the fall, your winter holidays can inspired as well. Just check out these cute designs from Sustain My Craft Habit. Elves, reindeer, trees, Santa, and more, grab the paint and get t
10. Flowers
We scoured Pinterest for some ideas as well. And when we stumbled up this floral beauty, we knew it needed to be featured. There are so many different route to take if you’re turning your rocks into beautiful petals!
11. Donuts
We found this donut design on Pinterest too. Just grab the colors you need and turn your rock into a sprinkled treat. You can even hide them around town for your neighbors to find.
12. Flags
Of course you could always turn the craft into a history lesson as well. For every flag painted, you can learn a bit about the country it represents. Again, more great ideas found on Pinterest.
13. Hearts
Pink Stripey Socks went with something extra simple and sweet. Just grab your favorite colors and get to work. The contrast is nice and it’s easy for the kiddos too.
14. Baseball
We stumbled upon this one on Pinterest too. Of course you can turn all those rocks into your favorite sports! Baseballs, basketballs, and the like, the little ones will enjoy every minute.
15. Cacti
Craftberry Bush not only painted the rocks but they created an entirely new piece of home décor out of it. We love how some rocks outside could so nicely be turned into funky cactus accents. And they’re easy to create too!
16. Pizza
You can also use your favorite foods as inspiration for your rock designs. This pizza rock from Hello, Meredith is adorable. Just imagine how a hamburger or French fry design could turn out!
17. Ballerina
If you have a large flat rock at your disposal, you could start by painting it white and then drawing a ballerina on it and painting a pretty pink tutu and a charming little girl. We found the picture above on @teenieskindessrocks‘ Insta and fell in love with the idea.
18. Star Wars Universe
Is your kid a fan of Star Wars? Who isn’t? So, how about we paint Baby Yoda, Chewy, and the Mandalorian on rocks? Sure, it’s a bit of a project here, but if you can flex your painting talents, why not? The pic comes from @aokrockdesign on Insta and it’s absolutely wonderful.
19. Veggies
It’s always important to eat your veggies unless they’re made out of rock, of course. These are really cute paintings that you can absolutely use to decorate your garden or your kitchen. The cartoon version of veggies is so cute and adorable and we kind of want to see more. These paintings done by @jenni1952 on Insta are gorgeous!
20. Rainbow
Rainbows are wonderfully beautiful and you can paint any rock to look like one. The rocks will go wonderfully in your home or garden, bringing some color even on rainy days. The project from @art.photography.zan looks great!
21. Motivational Messages
Sometimes, life gets us down, but some encouraging messages may help us out of our funk. So, why not paint some motivational messages up on rocks? Place them around the house to remind you of what’s important, helping you get your head back in the game. We love these made by @odonatarocks and want to make some just like these.
22. Green Ladybugs
The most common ladybugs may come in red, but if it’s St. Patrick’s Day, you may want to make them green. Of course, we know there are some cute little green bugs that look like green ladybugs, but they’re apparently not that friendly to your garden. Anyway, we love how these posted by @panda_mom_rockpainting came out as they’re adorable and cartoony.
23. Remi
Did you love Ratatouille? We know we did! So, why not paint the talented chef Remi on a rock? This absolutely adorable rat will look absolutely gorgeous on a rounded rock, as shown by @maman_dine68 on Insta. We just love how it turned out and how smiley he is.
24. Dotting
Dotting is so lovely and if you manage to perfect this technique, you can do a lot of amazing-looking things. @lovebybar tried this out on a rock and the result is stunning, even if this was their first try. Try it too! After all, what’s the worse that can happen?
25. Pokemon
Pokemon can be absolutely adorable, so why not try to paint a few on rocks? Your kids will definitely love them! Of course, you can paint their favorites, whichever they are, but these from @stone.art.sisterhood are just lovely and you need to try them out!
26. George and Peppa
If your kid is a fan of Peppa Pig, then you know what you have to do! Follow in the footsteps of @kunstige_keien on Insta and draw and paint a couple of rocks with the images of George and Peppa Pig. The results are absolutely adorable and they’re not that difficult to make.
27. Toucans
What’s not to love about toucans? They’re absolutely adorable, albeit funny-looking birds with humongous beaks and tiny bodies. We just love them and they’re also fairly easy to paint, so creating a couple of pretty toucans on a rock shouldn’t be too difficult. Check out how beautiful they turned out for @annette_lautz.
28. Silhouette
With just a bit of white, black, and gray paint you can create a beautiful silhouette. @happysunshine07 went for a girl releasing butterflies under the full moon. Such a beautiful image you can make fairly easily.
29. Luck Bugs
A few absolutely adorable luck bugs will decorate your house. Use flat stones, several shades of green and white, and you can also add some gold to paint them up. Use white and black to make some cartoony eyes, and you’re good to go. Check out these creations by @danibord.
30. Fish
We love little fish, so this blue one really struck a chord. The blue shades mingle in so well and we love the black outline and how nice it was laid down. You can definitely try this one too, like @crochetkat did, and put your own spin on it.
31. Godzilla
Godzilla can be terrifying, but not when it’s painted on a rock like @theartofnatalia did. Sure, it has a mean expression on its face, but it’s still absolutely adorable! The blue sky, the city outline on the horizon, the dark blue Ocean, and the green monster make for a wonderful creation.
32. Blooming Flowers
One of the easiest things you can paint on rocks, especially alongside your kids, are flowers. Flatten out the rock with a white layer, then some green and purple flowers. They’re easy to make and look so beautiful and we really love the approach @nanditha_art_place had on these.
33. Pusheen
Created over a decade ago, Pusheen is the subject of comic strips, sticker sets on social media, and plenty more. Why? Because she’s an adorable cat and the Internet loves cats. @danish.stoneart painted Pusheen on a rock and we absolutely love it. It’s so easy to make!
34. Rainbows
If you’re painting rocks with your kids, then making a beautiful rainbow spread between the sun and a cloud will work just fine. Add little smiles and pretty eyes on all of them, and you have an adorable illustration like @happyrocksnl did.
35. Sharks
Sharks can be terrifying or absolutely adorable. So, @boobooballetgirl decided to try out some rock painting by creating some adorable-looking sharks. Paint the whole rock blue, make some waves at the bottom, paint the shark and make its mouth as derpy as possible. They’re absolutely lovely and we want to make some too!
36. Flowers and Ladybugs
Use a larger flat stone to paint a flower on it and then, pick up some cute pebbles and paint them black and red, turning them into ladybugs. Use some googly eyes to add that something extra they need. So adorable! We found these cute creations by @cartm_en and think they’re absolutely great.
37. Harry Potter
We really can’t go on with a list of rock paintings without a Harry Potter one, right?! So, using black, beige, crimson, and gold, you can paint yourself a Harry Potter rock that your kids will absolutely love! Check it out on @joeristoffels on Insta! we can’t wait to get started on this particular project!
38. Dotting Flowers
Sure, this is a more advanced project, but you can definitely give it a try. Using the dotting technique, you can create lots and lots of flowers. We’re amazed by the beautiful rock @only_art_by_lin managed to find and we’re kind of jealous since it’s heart-shaped, but we absolutely love how it turned out with so many flowers.
39. Aristocats
The Aristocats have been around for decades, so it’s clear that everyone loves them. So, let’s paint Marie on a rock, using white, pink, and blue, as well as black for the outline. It’s absolutely adorable and we’re jealous we didn’t think of it first! @rockfun503 managed to make one that we just want to copy!
40. Swirly Rainbows
The next project is stunning and we want to try it out right now! These twirly rainbows are absolutely trippy and we love them! Whether you want to use them for that extra pop of color in your garden or to place them in your pots, it’s up to you! We love these creations by @laurenpowersart!
41. Galaxy Rocks
Why not pick up some rocks and create a galaxy? The folks at Rock Painting 101 have a bunch of ideas you can put in practice and we love them all. Space rocks look stunning!
42. Family Stick Figures
Sometimes, you may want to make sure the whole world knows who lives in a home – so paint up some rocks with stick figures and named them. Your kids will certainly be able to make these on their own, but you’ll definitely want to help since they’re so cute! Check out the ones made by @vm_rocks_shipley.
43. Sheep
Sheep are adorable and if you paint a cutesy one on a rock, it will be even cuter. @urbanrockdk made this one and we kind of want to steal it since we’re not sure our faces would turn out so cute. Nonetheless, we’ll try!
44. Halloween Bat
You must always be ready for Halloween, and this adorable bat will do just that. It’s super easy to paint on a flat rock and we love this tutorial from Rock Painting 101, which you should definitely follow!
45. Baby Groot
Baby Groot is here and we want to make sure you make one yourself! We can’t get over how adorable he is and how well this turned out for @bonnejournee29 – a truly talented Instagramer. Baby Groot always melts our hearts and this rock painting is doing just that too.
46. Cactus and Ice Cream
Sometimes, you may want to simply paint something adorable on rocks, and this cactus and ice cream pair are just the right thing. Coming from @jennys_wandersteinewelt, these two rocks are the cutest ever and we want more of them.
47. Moon Rock
We love looking at the moon, so why not try to paint it on a flat rock? The starry sky surrounding the moon looks gorgeous and we’re enchanted by this creation by @sandymountain08. The really cool part is that this particular rock was hidden in the wild and discovered by @flattenmirai. The painted rocks are usually hidden and people are encouraged to once more hide them in nature.
48. Lucky Clover
Four-leave clovers may not be the easiest to find, but you can certainly paint your own, so you’ll always feel lucky when you see it! It’s such a cute creation from @bullet.journals16.
49. Beach
Another beautiful rock painting is this beach and sea scene. It’s so lovely and the folks at Rock Painting 101 are giving us a step-by-step tutorial that you can follow.
50. Rainbow Bug
We’re wrapping things up with this colorful rainbow bug. It’s such a cute creation from @sa.arsteine and we just love how it turned out. With a back like a rainbow and an adorable face, this colorful bug is something you can make fairly easily. Try it out!
Final Thoughts
Painting on rocks can be a fun activity you can do on your own or alongside your kids. They’ll certainly get a kick out of it and looking for the perfect rocks and be an adventure on its own. We hope some of our suggestions inspired you today and that you’ll have a few projects lined up for the next time you find a pretty rock.
Drop us a message and tell us which rock paintings you liked best and share your creations with us over social media so we can admire them too!