Kid Craft: Painting a Rock Fish

Painting a rock fish is one kid craft that kids will enjoy doing over and over.

Once kids paint one, and understand the process, and the joy, they will want to make more fish rocks. What is special about painting a rock fish is that each one will be different, because each rock is a different shape.

Finding Flat Rocks for This Kid Craft

The best rocks to use for fish rock paintings are flat rocks, about the size of a small paper plate.

The paint will also stick best to rocks that have been naturally smoothed by water. Looking in a shallow stream or river is the best place to find flat and smooth rocks for painting a rock fish.

Kids and parents can go on a nature walk, searching for the best flat rocks they can find.

Other rocks may even look like a sea creature. Look for shapes that could remind you of a fish. Or, look for rocks that look like they have fins, tails, or even an open mouth.

Kid Craft: Two Ways to Put the Design on the Rock

There are couple of different ways to make a fish on a rock in this kid craft. One is to draw a picture of a fish that is slightly smaller than the rock. Cut out the drawing and place it on the rock.

Use a piece of chalk to draw the outline of the design.

Next, remove the paper and draw the rest of the design with chalk. Drawing with chalk is a good idea, because it can easily be erased if you make a mistake. Also, the chalk can be easily covered with paint.

Use the chalk outline as a guideline when you paint the design.

The other way to decorate a rock in this kid craft is to paint the entire rock in one color. I like to use black, since it makes a nice dark back drop for the sea creature.

Next, you can use the chalk outline method again. Or, you can paint the fish image directly onto the rock.

Kid Craft: Painting Time

When you paint the picture on the rock, start by painting the fish head in one color. Just do the head, do not paint the eye yet.

Next, paint the tail, a top fin and bottom fin in the same color.

Wash off the brush, and pick another color, for the body. Paint the body one solid color.

Let the kid craft project dry.

Kid Craft: Finish Touches

After it dries, use either black or white paint to add an eye, some gills, and some lines on the tail and on the fins.

You can also use rub some glitter paint or glue on top of the paint.

Now you have your very own painted fish rock!