DIY Garden Rock Art Ideas for Rainy Afternoons and Craft-Loving Grandchildren

A round granite boulder is already halfway to being a character. The painter here gave it wide white eyes with black pupils, thick curved eyebrows, and a big open smile with two square front teeth. The nose is a bright red stone that sticks out from the face, so it catches the light.

Two small stones painted black and white sit in the grass below, like a pair of sneakers.

The speckled granite shows through the paint, so the face looks like it grew out of the rock. On a rainy day, kids can paint the small stones at the table while a grown up carries the big one to a dry spot.

Paint the white parts first and the black outlines last. A wobbly line is easy to fix over dry white paint.

Five smooth stones, five little fish.

• Orange bodies with white bands edged in thin black lines
• Darker orange fins painted on the side and tail
• Big round eyes with a tiny pupil, and a small smile on the lead fish

They rest among gray and tan pebbles, so the whole pile looks like a stream bed.

Pick oval stones with one end a bit narrower, because that end becomes the tail. Set them in a gravel bed or a shallow bowl of pebbles and a few fish look like a school.

Let each grandchild name their own fish. A named stone gets painted with a lot more care.

Rain does not have to cancel craft time. A covered porch gives you fresh air, the sound of drops on the roof, and a table where spills do not matter.

Lay cardboard or an old shower curtain over the table. Put the stones in a bin, the paint in a muffin tin, and the brushes in a jar of water. Let the youngest pick the first stone, because choosing is half the fun.

Finished stones dry on a tray lined with newspaper. Leave the sealer coat to the grown ups and do it outdoors with the air moving.

Not every stone needs to be round. This one is flat in back and lumpy on top, and the painter worked with every bump. Two big white eyes glance off to one side, with black pupils and curved brows above them. A round red nose sits in the middle, and the wide grin shows a row of white teeth and a red tongue.

The grey-green speckles show right through the paint. The stone leans on a pale lavender shed wall where the light falls in patches. Near the bottom corner there is a tiny red heart and a pair of initials, like a signature.

Side glances make faces funnier. Shift the pupils to one corner of each eye and the stone looks like it is up to something.

A plain wooden box sits low in a bed of hostas, packed with painted stones in every color. Some have small flowers, some have butterflies, and some are just bright swirls. A painted sign on a wooden stake explains the idea: take a stone for a boost, share one with someone else, or leave one behind to help the garden grow.

The green and cream hosta leaves around it make the colors pop without any extra work.

Grandchildren love the leaving part. Paint the stones on a wet afternoon, then carry them out together when the rain stops.

Nobody remembers what they planted in April. Flat stones with a tiny painted picture fix that, and small children can match the picture to the plant even before they read.

• Basil: a green leaf with a pale center line
• Carrots: an orange cone with feathery green tops
• Strawberries: a red heart shape with tiny yellow seeds
• Chives: a few thin green lines in a bunch

Paint one coat of background color first, then the picture on top. Wedge each stone upright at the front of its row, or lean it against a short stick.

A good rainy day job: paint the whole set at the table, then plant the markers when the soil dries out.

Meet the tallest, friendliest mushroom in the yard. It has a tall egg-shaped body and a wide brown cap with a rough, textured finish. A red ladybug sits on the top edge of the cap. The face has heart-shaped white eyes with big black pupils, a round raised nose, and a wide smile with two front teeth and a small red heart on the tongue.

It stands in front of leafy shrubs with a heap of rounded river stones around its base. The body looks smooth and pale, so it may be a shaped piece rather than a natural rock.

For a family version, paint a large rounded stone for the stalk and top it with a wide flat stone or a painted saucer for the cap. Kids can handle the ladybug and the face.

Anchor it well. A tall piece can tip when little ones lean on it.