This is a great one to keep in mind when you’re looking for a messy, creative outdoor activity that will occupy the kids for a while. It’s especially nice if you live in Arizona, and big rocks are easy to come by. Just spread out some newspapers in your driveway or patio and get out your paints. Fill up some cups or an old rusty muffin tin with paint, and have the kids gather a big batch of rocks. I took these photos when we painted rocks a few months ago but never got around to writing about it! I was reminded of this when we did rock painting at my daughter’s preschool last week:

What do you do with all these colorful rocks when you’re done, you ask? My kids had fun delivering them to the neighbors!