A Super Simple Toddler Activity: Painting on Rocks With Water

I love setting up this simple toddler activity for my daughter; painting on rocks with water! My older son used to do this activity as a toddler as well, so it has always been a big hit.

It keeps toddlers busy, and engaged, and there is little to no mess to clean up! Plus, it is a budget-friendly and environmentally-friendly activity.

Another great aspect of this activity is that it can be set up as a a rainy-day toddler activity at home, or an outdoor toddler activity on the porch or by the river!

It also encourages the development of hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Additionally, if overstimulated parents need a little quiet time, this is a very calming and soothing sensory activity for little ones.

Activity Materials

All you need for this easy activity is a paintbrush, a tray, a cup of water, and some big rocks.

Gathering Rocks

To gather materials for this activity at home, my kids and I walk around our yard and pick out our favorite rocks. Bigger rocks that are lighter in color are generally better for this activity. There is more contrast when the water is painted on with lighter rocks and there is more surface area to cover with bigger rocks.

After collecting the rocks, we rinse all the dirt off of them and set them out to dry. Once dry, they’re ready to go!

Or, we take this activity outside and the little ones can wander around to different rocks and “paint” them.

Sometimes I get tired of all the googly eyes, pipe cleaners, and pom poms, so I love that this activity uses natural materials and is environmentally friendly.

Since kiddos are only using water to “paint” their rocks, the rocks can be returned right to the yard after they’re done with the activity. The benefit of not having another plastic toy lying around our house indefinitely is also pretty great!

Other Materials

Aside from rocks, all you need is;

• a little cup to hold water
• a paintbrush
• a tray

I love the no-spill cups with lids that have small openings to dip paintbrushes in. They are not necessary though, a Tupperware or small cup works too!

A simple plastic tray helps contain the rocks and water.

Any paintbrush will do. The smaller the paintbrush though, the longer you can generally draw this activity out since it takes more time to cover the rocks. I like to offer both a bigger paintbrush and a smaller one to my toddler so she can experiment.

Activity Set Up

There’s not much to set up for this activity. Simply fill a cup with water, and set out a paintbrush and some rocks on a tray.

The tray can either be set up on a little table or the floor, or the ground outside!

The first time we did this activity, I briefly showed my toddler how to dip her paintbrush in water and then start painting a rock. She understood the concept immediately and went to town.

I usually leave the tray and rocks out for a few days at a time after setting up this activity, and my toddler will frequently wander over to it throughout the day and start painting on the rocks until they’re covered in water. An hour later, they’re dry and ready to go again.

Independent Play Activity

As toddlers approach their second birthdays, they are all about exercising their independence. Sometimes it’s really cute and sometimes it’s really annoying.

I find that when I give my toddler plenty of opportunities to do things independently, she does not feel as much need to exercise her independence at inopportune times (like while at the grocery store).

So being able to give my daughter some rocks to paint water all over and not have to step in and tell her “No, not like that” or “No, don’t spill that”, is great!

She gets to exercise her independence and I do not have to micromanage. I do keep an eye on her though, because toddlers and rocks are not always a great combination. For the most part, though, my daughter peacefully sits and enjoys this activity. This makes this activity great for encouraging Independent Play.

Other toddler sensory activities to enjoy inside or outside: Homemade Kinetic Sand and DIY Playdough.

Parallel Play Activity

It can be hard to get a couple of toddlers to hold still long enough to exist in the same space as one another; however, this activity has been great for parallel play opportunities!

Parallel play is an important part of child development and allows kids to start exploring the world socially.

What do you think of this simple toddler activity? Does your kiddo love it? Say hi and let me know in the comments!