Rock Painting Camping Activity
Kids and adults can enjoy camping fun that combines nature and crafts. You can create designs as detailed or simple as you want with this cool rock painting camping activity.
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How To Plan Camping Painting Activities
Simple crafts make fun camping activities that keep kids busy in the great outdoors on your family camping trips. What you DON’T want to do is forget to pack essential supplies to complete projects.
The great news about painting rocks you find in nature is that you only need to bring minimal supplies from home. You can use paint pens or acrylic craft paint with paintbrushes … you’ll also need a small cup of water.
That’s it … you are ready to paint some rocks!
Optional supplies you may want to bring include stencils (if you are not an artist but want to make some really detailed designs) and a sealant if you choose to add a durable finish to your piece of art.
If you want to add a sealer you can do it at the campsite or just wait till you get home. If your design includes written words, you can use a thin paint brush … if you want more control, you can use oil based paint pens or Sharpies.
Camping Painting Ideas
There are tons of cute rocks you can create that have nature and camping themes. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Camping Themed Painted Rock Ideas
- Retro campers (after I made my rock, I used it as inspiration to make this adorable DIY Camper Cake!)
- Tents
- Hiking Boots
- Marshmallows and campfires
If you have no artistic ability at all, you can just use some camping clip art to create the outline on the rock and you can just color it with paint.
Colorful Happy Camper Clipart Digital Download
Black And White Happy Camper Clipart Digital Download
Nature Themed Painted Rock Ideas
- Wild animals
- Insects
- Sunrise scenes
- Body of water
- Night sky scenes (it is fun to use paint that glows in the dark for these!)
Neon Glow-In-The-Dark Acrylic Craft Paint
Other Cute Painted Rock Ideas
The geometric configuration of mandala dot painted rocks are the types of designs adults and older kids love. Most people use painting template stencils to do this type of craft project.
Mandala Dot Painting Templates StencilsMandala Dot Painting Templates Stencils
One of my favorite Thanksgiving camping crafts is a painted rocks Tic Tac Toe game where the game pieces are adorable turkeys and pumpkins.
Not only is it a fun activity to make … it is fun to play after the craft project is complete!
How To Do Rock Painting Activities At The Campsite
Step 1. Find small rocks around the campsite or on hiking trails.
- You are looking for small-ish rocks that are smooth and flat because they are the easiest to paint.
- If you have a particular design in mind, you may want to hunt for a rock that has a shape that fits your design like we did with our retro camper painted rock.
Step 2. Wash the dirt from the rocks and let them dry before painting them.
- Rinsing the rocks in water is usually sufficient but if the rocks are particularly dirty, you may need to use some sort of scrub brush and soap to get them clean enough for the paint to adhere to them.
Step 3. It is optional to seal or prime the rock before painting your design.
Here’s how decide if you want to do either of these options.
- If the rocks are really porous, they may soak up lots of paint (especially if you are using paint markers) so it is best to add a sealer to the clean rock and let the sealer fully dry before you begin painting your design.
- If you have a dark colored rock and you are painting a light colored design, the paint will look dingy as the dark rock color peeks through so it is best to prime the rock with a coat of white and let it fully dry before you start painting your design.
Step 4. Now it is time to paint your design on the rock.
- Paint pens or acrylic craft paint with paintbrushes can be used.
- You may need to do several coats to get the color and coverage you desire.
- If you do multiple coats, be sure to let the paint dry between layers.
- As you are painting your design while the paint is still wet, you can use a corner of a wet paper towel to remove any “mistakes” before they dry.
Craft Smart Acrylic Paint SetPermanent Oil-Based Waterproof Paint Marker Pen Set
If you want to paint a retro camper but don’t have artsy skills, don’t worry! A few basic shapes will form a cute little trailer. Here’s a quick video to give you some inspiration.
Step 5. Add Words To Your Rocks
If you need to write words on your rock, let the design fully dry then write the words using a paint brush, an oil based paint pen or Sharpie.
Extra Fine Point Acrylic Paint Marker Pens
Step 6. To protect you painted rock from wear-and-tear or to withstand the elements, you’ll need to seal it.
- I like using a clear enamel spray sealer. It is easy to spray multiple light coats and get good coverage without drips.
Rust-Oleum Satin Clear Spray Enamel
Uses For Painted Rocks From Your Camping Craft Project
Now that you have adorable rocks, here’s how you can use them at the campsite:
- Paperweights to hold paper napkins and plates from blowing in the wind
- Centerpieces to decorate the picnic table
- Hidden objects for your scavenger hunts
- SWAG (stands for Stuff We All Get) if you are playing a geocaching camping game.
Other ways to use your painted camping rocks:
- Garden ornaments
- Herb markers
- DIY camping gifts
Combine Camping Activities
If you are planning some fun camping games to play, like scavenger hunts, you can make a list of items that you need for crafts later in your trip!
There are so many fun camping activities for kids, they might not ever want to go home!
Print This Project
Camping Painting Activity Rock Painting Craft Project
Equipment
- Paintbrushes
- Cup (for water to rinse paintbrushes)
- Paper Towels
Materials
- Rocks
- Acrylic Craft Paint
- Water for rinsing brushes
- Sharpies optional
- Paint Pens optional
- Spray-On Enamel Sealer optional
- Stencils optional
- Camping Clip Art optional
Instructions
- Gather small rocks around the campsite or on hiking trails. It is easiest to paint smooth and flat rocks but keep in mind your particular design so you can look for a shape that fits your design like we did with our retro camper painted rock.
- Wash the dirt from the rocks using plain water or soapy water with a scrub brush, if necessary.
- Allow rocks to fully dry.
- Determine if you want to seal or prime the rock before painting your design. Very porous rocks may soak up lots of paint (especially if you are using paint markers) so it is best to add a sealer to the clean rock, then let it fully dry before painting your design. Dark colored rocks may make light colored designs look dingy so it is best to prime the rock with a coat of white paint, then let it fully dry before painting the design.
- Paint your design on the rock. Apply several coats, if necessary, allowing the paint to dry between layers. Use acrylic craft paint or oil based paint markers.
- Camp Crafting Tip: As you are painting your design while the paint is still wet, you can use a corner of a wet paper towel to remove any “mistakes” before they dry.
- Let the design fully dry before writing any words on the rock using a paint brush, an oil based paint pen or Sharpie.
- It is optional to seal the painted rock using a clear enamel spray sealer applying multiple light coats to get good coverage without drips.
FREE Printable Camping Trip Planner
Make your next trip stress-free with a little pre-planning. Get your copy of our FREE printable camping trip planner template!
Unique Camping Gifts
These adorable painted rocks make wonderful camping gifts for your favorite friends and family!
If you’re looking for awesome ideas for yummy camping food, you’re in the right place! Here’s our entire camping recipes list.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment, question or suggestion below. I’d love to hear from you so let’s chat.