Rocks are an abundant material that lend itself well to a number of craft projects and activities that are perfect for children. In this post you will find many great ideas to inspire you and your kids to get creative, have fun and learn with rocks – now doesn’t that ROCK?!

There are so many fun things for kids to make and do with rocks. Below are many ideas including rock critter crafts for younger children, cool rock crafts for older children, fun activities kids can play using rocks, kindness rock craft ideas and educational activities to do with rocks.

Rock Crafts: Fun Things for Kids to Make and Do

For these rock crafts for kids to make and do you’ll need rocks of various shapes and sizes, acrylic paints, nail polish, play dough, paper, marker and chalk. 

Rock Critter Crafts

Farm Animal Painted Rocks by Rock Painting Guide. Kids can help make these adorable farm animal rocks. They can then be used for play or for story telling. All you’ll need are some rocks and paint.

Painted Bee Rock Craft by Easy Peasy and Fun. These happy bees rock crafts are easy for kids to make. They would be so cute decorating the flower or vegetable garden!

Ladybug Painted Rocks by Simple Everyday Mom. These cute little ladybug painted rocks are sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. All you need to make these are some rocks and paint markers. 

Penguin Painted Rocks by The Soccer Mom Blog. Painted penguin rocks would be a fun project to make during the winter. Place them around town to bring a smile to everyone’s face during those long, cold months. 

 

Shark Painted Rocks by Sustain My Craft Habit. These shark painted rocks will look amazing and definitely catch some double-takes! This is an awesome painted rock idea for triangular shaped rocks. 

Cool Rock Crafts

Color Mixing Activity – With some rocks and acrylic paint kids can explore how different colors mix together and make some pretty cool looking rocks! 

Angry Birds Painted Rocks by Living Life As Mom.  Kids will love making these cool Angry Birds painted rocks. This is the perfect rainy day project for older kids. 

Kandinsky Inspired Rock Art by Arty Crafty Kids. These painted rocks were inspired by the famous artist Kandinsky. To make your own Kandinsky inspired rocks you’ll just need some rocks and several different colors of paint. 

Nail Polish Rocks by A Mom’s Impression.  These rocks painted with nail polish turned out looking so cool! Your kids will be fascinated by this painting technique using nail polish. 

Minion Stones by The Mad House. Little fans of the Minions will think these painted Minion stones are the coolest rock craft ever! All you need are some oval shaped rocks and acrylic paint. 

Rock Family by Red Ted Art. This painted rock family is the cutest. Customize it to resemble your family! All you need are a bunch of rocks and some paint. 

Activities to Do with Rocks

DIY Tic-Tac-Toe Painted Rocks by Run Wild My Child. Kids can create their own colorful rock version of tic-tac-toe with painted rocks and a slice of tree trunk. This would be such a fun addition to the backyard! 

Rock Balancing: Stacking Stones STEAM Activity by Rhythms of Play.  This is a STEAM activity that kids can do anywhere they find some stones. It’s a fun activity to do while camping, hiking or at the beach! 

Play Dough and Rocks Fine Motor Activity by The OT Toolbox.  Small rocks can be combined with play dough for a simple fine motor activity. Simply set up this invitation to play and let your child’s imagination run wild!

Rock Construction Zone Sensory Bin by Mrs. Plemons Kindergarten. Toddlers will love playing with this simple rock sensory bin. Add some construction trucks and they are sure to have some fun!

Rock Puzzle by Little Pine Learners. This simple rock puzzle activity it great for preschoolers! Gather up some rocks and trace around them on a piece of paper for a quick and easy learning activity!

Kindness Rocks 

Best Ever Guide to Kindness Rocks by East TN Family Fun. Have you heard about kindness rocks but wondered what they were all about? This guide will give you all the details from what they are to how to make them. 

Kindness Rocks using Stamps by Rubber Stamp Blog. Create these inspiring kindness rocks using paint and rubber stamps. This is such an easy way to get perfect letters on small rocks! 

Character Rocks: An End of Year Tradition by We Heart Teaching.  These personalized character rocks for students are a great way to remind them of their wonderful qualities. You can make them for your students, children or friends. 

Painted Heart Worry Stones by Happy Hooligans.  These little kindness rocks are perfect to share will young children with big worries or separation anxiety. The simple heart design and positive message on the back make them easy to create. 

Educational Rock Crafts

Solar System Activity for Kindergarten – Using rocks found around the yard your kindergartener can create a model of the solar system. All you need are some rocks and paint. 

Preschool Alphabet Rocks by The Inspiration Edit. These alphabet rocks are perfect for teaching preschoolers the alphabet! All you need are some smooth stones and acrylic paint. 

Alphabet Learning with Chalk and Rocks by And Next Comes L. This simple activity teaches kids how to recognize the letters of the alphabet. All you need is some sidewalk chalk and small rocks for your young child to place on the chalk lines. 

Learning Numbers with Rocks by A Little Pinch of Perfect. Preschoolers will have fun learning the numbers and counting with these brightly colored number rocks and printable ten frame. For this activity all you will need are some rocks, paint and the printable ten frame. 

Name Rocks by Simply Kinder – Parents and teachers can make these cute name rocks for their kids or students, then use them to help their children learn the names of their friends. All you need are some rocks, white paint and permanent markers. 

Sorting Seasons Activity with Rocks by Buggy and Buddy. This is an excellent rock activity for preschoolers just learning about the seasons. For this activity you’ll need some rocks, wood slices, paint and stickers. 

I hope these rock crafts and activities have inspired you and your children to get creative with rocks! I know I have!