This Reader Introduced Her Toddler to Painted Rocks for an Inexpensive & Artsy Activity

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More Happy Friday

paint palette, painted rocks, and paintbrush

Spring is the perfect time of year to get the kids outside, where they can spend a little time enjoying all the beautiful weather and everything nature has to offer!

This week’s Happy Friday submission comes to us from Hip reader Varsha K., who combined a nature walk and some art for a fun afternoon with her daughter!

painted rocks

My toddler and I made these painted river rocks together over the weekend. She loves painting, so I thought this would be a nice creative outlet to keep her busy. We worked together to paint beautiful images and messages on the rocks, and this was a great learning activity for her!

painted rocks on bubble wrap

We chose smooth rocks on our walk so they would provide a good surface for painting. Then, we worked together to paint pretty designs and positive messages on each rock. When they were dry, we placed some inside our home with our decor, and others we put in the front yard so that everyone could read an uplifting message as they pass by our home.

rock painted with words "be kind"

This inexpensive activity was a really fun way to pass some time together. The rocks were totally free. We found them while we were on a walk nearby. That was another fun activity that was totally free, by the way! The paint we had at home, and the brushes and palette we were able to purchase at Dollar Tree for only $1.25.

In the end, we wound up with a fun memory of our time together and some beautiful decor for our home and front yard. Even better, we spent almost no money at all on this activity!

Thank you for sharing this fun idea, Varsha! Your painted rocks turned out great, and I love that you and your daughter will remember your fun afternoon together every time you see them around your home. 💗

HAPPY FRIDAY! 🎉

Do you have a funny, “Hip”, or unique tip to share?! 🎙 Fill out our Happy Friday form! Every Friday, we post one submission by a Hip2Save reader (view past submissions) that gives us a glimpse into their frugal lifestyle or simply makes us smile. For the best odds of having your submission picked, check out our Happy Friday tips post!

If yours is published on Hip2Save, we’ll email you a $10 Amazon eGift card! 🛍

We tried a similar activity too! Check out the “kindness rocks” that Lina painted with her kids.


About the writer:

Jenna has a Bachelor's Degree from Lycoming College and her Master's from Penn State, holding 4 years of writing experience between a variety of publications and Hip2Save.


Join The Discussion

Comments 6

  1. Casey P

    i know someone suggested this to us, but we use the paint pens for this and keep them in the camping box! Very little mess with the pens!! Works for our 5,9,12 year old to all do together!

    • Varsha darekar

      Great !!!👍

  2. Dara

    Love this idea for toddlers. While patterns and words are probably too challenging for the youngest ones, it’s a terrific craft for letting them do their own thing and painting whatever makes them happy!

    • Varsha darekar

      Thank you!!!

  3. Lora

    People in our community put the painted rocks in our local parks along trails to pass on kindness. Also, positive quotes written on the sidewalk with chalk can brighten a walker’s day.

    • Varsha darekar

      That’s awesome!!!!

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