Let’s start this blog off with a fun fact: I have painted thousands of rocks with kids throughout San Diego! It’s one of my go-to art activities because kids love painting rocks. Easy to set up, and leads to really diverse artworks. Now that Fall and Halloween season is upon us Halloween rock painting is a perfect activity. In this blog I want to share my fast quick best tips for setting up this activity. And you will have the least amount of mess and stress while preparing for halloween rock painting with Montessori kids.
Setting up for painting
When you’re setting up you really only need three things: rocks for painting, kid-safe painting supplies, and a painting space. There are a few materials you will need which I share below in detail. But set up can be easy.
Collecting Rocks
Kids love collecting rocks outside! You can find rocks everywhere, they’re a free resource that helps make this project really affordable. However, if your class is unable to go out and collect rocks, you can always find bags of rocks in the garden stores. If you are using collected rocks, make sure you clean and dry them before painting.
Natural rocks come in different sizes and shapes. Have your students imagine what they would like to paint, then look for rocks similar in shape. The best rocks for this project will have a nice, flat surface to paint.
Preparing The Painting Space
Set up the painting area where kids can make a mess. Use a drop cloth to protect the floor. Make sure students wear clothes that can get dirty, as some paints don’t wash out easily. Keep materials at eye level on a flat, sturdy surface like a table. You can also cover the table with a drop cloth or old newspaper.
Rock Painting Materials
Here’s what you need for this fun Halloween rock painting project:
- Acrylic Paint: Use safe, non-toxic acrylic or thick craft paint.
- Paintbrushes: Have very small brushes for details and medium brushes for painting the whole rock surface.
- Water Jar: For rinsing paint off brushes between colors.
- Napkins: To wipe water and paint off brushes.
- Palette: Use small palettes, or substitute with paper plates or recycled egg cartons for holding paint.
- Newspaper: To cover the work area and catch any paint spills.
- Smock, Apron, or Old Clothes: To keep children’s clothes safe from paint.
Halloween Colors
Acrylic paint is the best choice for painting natural rocks because it sticks well and lasts a long time. Be sure to use kid-safe, non-toxic acrylic paint, especially for children under 12 years old.
You can create fun Halloween designs on rocks with just a few paint colors. These designs are simple enough for kids to copy.
- White: ghosts, mummies, skulls, eyeballs, spider webs
- Black: jack-o’-lanterns, black cats, bats
- Orange: pumpkins, jack-o’-lanterns
- Red: eyeballs, drops of blood
- Green: witches, monsters, Frankenstein
- Purple: monsters, spiders, witches’ hats
- Yellow: candy corn, scary eyes
Remember, the final artwork will depend on your students’ ages and how much painting experience they have had before this activity.
For another spooky fun Halloween art project, check out my post on painting pumpkins!
Where to Start: Follow My Halloween Rock Painting Tips
This Montessori Halloween rock painting activity is quite simple. Just show how to use the materials—paintbrushes, water jar, napkins—and then let kids create their artworks on their own. Here are three quick tips to make the project smoother.
Tip 1: Rocks are not like paper; they don’t absorb paint as easily.
When kids clean their paintbrushes between colors, ensure they wipe all the water off the brush before dipping it back into the paint. You want to avoid runny paint on rocks, as it makes controlling the paint harder and the image less clear.
Tip 2: Paint the background color first and let it dry completely before adding more paint.
If you want the rock to have a solid background color, paint that part first. Allow the paint to dry before adding more details. This helps the image look clear and prevents colors from mixing.
Example: For a ghost rock, paint it white first, let it dry, then add black eyes and a mouth once the white is dry.
Tip 3: If possible, paint rocks in direct sunlight.
Acrylic paint dries faster under a heat source. Rocks take longer to dry in cool temperatures. Once your students finish painting, place the rocks in direct sunlight to dry.
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If you’d like a free downloadable version of the materials list above (plus a few extras), grab my Kids Painting Materials Checklist now.
One Step Further: Download My FREE Kids Painting Materials Checklist
Students can explore rock painting in countless ways and themes! The basic idea and materials remain the same; only the images and paint colors might change. With any painting project, as long as kids have the right materials, they’ll learn and have fun!
A Short Cut Just for You
Painting—whether it’s rocks or on paper—is always such a fun activity for kids. I encourage you to set up painting projects and lessons for your class on a regular basis. My Kids Painting Practice & Process Curriculum has 57 master lessons that take kids from setting up a paint station and holding a brush all the way to creating beautiful nature landscapes and painting different types of animals! Each lesson is featured as part of a sequence and includes all the information—materials, demonstration technique, and direct and indirect aims—so you can simply follow the instructions and easily present the activity to your students.
Kids Painting Practice & Process Curriculum sets the foundation for their art education and will help them transform into little artists! To purchase the curriculum, click here.