How to host a Rock Painting Event: Homeschool Edition

rock painting event-how to host-homeschool

How to host a Homeschool Rock Painting Event.

Learn how to host a rock painting party with a budget and NO rock painting kits.

So you want to throw a rock painting event, but don’t know where to start? We’ve got the answers you need to plan and host a great event for your homeschool group!

1. Decide on how many people you will have.
Depending on the size of your homeschool group, this could have an impact on where you host your event. Our group is comprised of 50 families, but we know we usually have 10-12 families show up. Knowing how many people to expect will help you determine how much material you will need. We always ask our homeschool families to RSVP via our FB group. This helps tremendously.

2. Find a location.
Hosting events outdoors at a local park is a great option. Many parks now have covered pavilions in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. Libraries also have meeting rooms with sinks, tables and chairs. This is also a great option for avoiding rainy or cold days. Whichever location you decide to choose, make sure that you call ahead of time to reserve. Many libraries now have the option to request a room online.

3. Materials

Something to cover your painting area – plastic tablecloths, newspaper, or cardboard work well.
Paper Towels – for drying off paint brushes, wiping up spills, etc.
Acrylic Paints – you can find these at any store. A little goes a long way, and you can buy individual bottles or they also sell packs of 20 or so bottles in varying colors. Michaels, always has a coupon you could use to start your stock. Also ask other parents to bring paints for their children. This will help keep from having to bring a ton of paints.
Gray Beach Pebbles/ River Rocks – I prefer the ones that are 2-3″, but really you can use any kind you want. You can find them at many local garden centers, or at Lowe’s, Home Depot, or even on Amazon. A 30 lb. bag of 1-3″ beach pebbles/river rocks has approximately 80 rocks in each bag. I recommend you give each kid at least 2 rocks, depending on the size of group. This will give them the chance to expand their creativity, and also have one to give away and another as a keepsake.
Sealant – Spray Mod Podge is highly recommended, although you will need to use it outside. You can use regular Mod Podge with a paint brush, it will paint on white and turn clear when it’s drive. So don’t worry when you apply it.
Plastic Paint Palette – If you paint all the time or are planning on hosting more that 2 events that involve painting, I’d suggest you invest in some plastic paint palette. Amazon has a set of 12, these can be reused over and over time. Paper plates are also useful, if you don’t have a location with a sink. A little bit of paint goes a long way. Remember to ask parents to help their kids to pour the paint on the palettes. You only need a about a dime size amount of paint to cover the top of a rock.
Paint brushes – I have a variety of sizes of paint brushes and plenty of them. Larger brushes are good for painting the whole rock, while smaller paint brushes work well for painting designs, words, or pictures. You could also bring dotting tools, to create a mandala.
Cups – you’ll need these for water so people can rinse off their brushes, and they also work well for collecting the used paint brushes at the end to take them all home. I also collect small glass yogurt containers. These are useful and can be reused over and over. Don’t forget to ask your local Give Freely group.

4. Set up
I like to set up each person’s station as they come into the room/ pavilion. Here’s a sample set up from a recent homeschool event we hosted. I had the parents help pass out 1 rock to each kid, once they painted the first rock, they could get a second one. I start everyone out with their paint palettes/ paper plates, rocks, and a paper towel, and a cup of water, and a few brushes. Our homeschool group is community drive, so don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. After everyone has their supplies, we spoke about our rock painting theme. Here is where you can interject a specific theme to the rock painting event.

5. Allowing the Rocks Time to Dry
It’s a good idea to have something for the kids to do as they wait for their artistic creations to dry. the paint doesn’t take too long to dry. We hosted our event at the library. While the rocks dried, the kids all went into the library to look at books and the 3D printer. (Everyone loves watching it!) If you are at a local park, you could have the kids that a finished play at the playground. Don’t want to wait for them to dry? You could bring a hairdryer to help speed up the process, or ask everyone before hand to bring a cardboard box to take them home in.

7. Write on the Backs of the Rocks (optional)
After the painted rocks are dry, you could add a message to the back. Here is where you might want to use a sharpie, for a clear message. Here are some suggestions: