Free or Low-Cost Outdoor Ideas for Children #4: Rock Painting

If you like your walks to have a purpose, you might be interested to learn about Geocaching. Alternatively, for a creative twist, have you heard of Rock Painting? This is a great idea for a rainy day when you can’t get outside, and gives you a purpose for your next little adventure!

What is Rock Painting?

Rock painting is the activity of painting a nice, smooth rock, usually about the size of your hand, with a pretty picture, or a thoughtful message. You then leave the rock on a popular walking route or play area to brighten someone’s day. Apparently, the craze started in America with the Kindness Rocks Project and now has devotees across the world looking to brighten up everyone’s lives!

Find your Local Group

We first came across our local rock painting group, Shropshire Rocks, around 2019! They run it through their Facebook page, and people share photos of rocks they find to reconnect with the original artist, or even photos of rocks they’ve painting and where they’re planning to leave them, so people know where to look. There are groups all across the UK, many on Facebook but also some that just use websites. Why not take a look to see what you have in your local area? Use keywords like ‘rock painting’ and ‘your county’ to find results.

Painting your Rock

If you’ve found yourself a nice smooth, ideally flat, rock then you’re probably itching to get painting it! Here are some tips from our experiences to ensure your beautiful artwork lasts a long time:

• Clean and thoroughly dry your rock. For best results, your rock needs to be free of dirt and grease, and bone dry.
• You might need a base coat. If your rock is particularly dark, you might want to do a coat of white paint first to make your artwork pop. Allow this first layer to dry before starting your artwork.
• Use acrylic paint. We’ve found acrylic paint to be the best for rock painting. Any acrylic paint will do (this is what we used). For intricate work and leaving messages, use a marker pen – you can even find acrylic paint pens too!
• Leave a message (optional). If you want to be informed when someone finds your rock, be sure to leave a message like ‘If you find me please post a photo on “Facebook page name“. You might want to add your first name, a unique hashtag or instructions like whether you want it rehidden nearby or taken to be hidden somewhere else. How about “Help me get to the Highlands”.
• Seal your artwork. For optimum longevity, once your painting has fully dried, it’s time to seal it. Sealing it with varnish gives a see-through protective layer to your rock, ensuring it lasts out in the wild in the good old British weather! I can’t remember what we used but the most popular recommendations right now are boat or car lacquers in a spray can. I’d advise using this outside, in a well ventilated space, and done by an adult.
• Let it dry. Once it’s fully dry, it’s ready to go on an adventure!

Hiding your Rock

Now it’s time to get outside and find somewhere for your rock to hide! Pick popular walks or play areas to ensure your rock gets found. Leave them near park benches, flowerpots, on low walls, or if you live somewhere with good footfall, why not leave it on your windowsill? Follow the ‘not below your elbow’ rule – no one wants to pick up a stone that a dog might’ve done it’s business on 🙈

Finding other’s Rocks

Next time you go on a walk or to the park, keep your eyes open to see if you can find someone else’s rock. When you come across one, check it for messages – the owner might like you to share a photo to a certain Facebook page, and they will probably want it rehidden or moved to somewhere new.

Things to Consider

• Don’t leave rocks too low where animals could possibly do their business on it.
• Don’t remove or destroy another person’s artwork (unless the rock asks you to move it on).
• Be respectful – don’t leave your rocks on someone else’s property.
• Don’t disturb natural habitats or wildlife when placing, or looking for, painted rocks.
• Follow the countryside code and  remember that most national parks and areas of outstanding national beauty have a ‘leave no trace’ policy, so I don’t recommend leaving painted rocks in these places.

Now go and have fun, and if you’ve been inspired to join the rock painting revolution because of this post, then please share a photo of your creations in the comments!