Pet rocks are such a fun and easy craft for kids, and the best part is that you don’t need a bunch of expensive supplies to make them! Grab a few smooth rocks from outside and break out whatever craft supplies you already have on hand. Yarn, googly eyes, pom-poms, felt, markers, paint, and glue are all perfect for bringing these silly little characters to life.
There’s really no right or wrong way to decorate a pet rock, which makes this activity great for kids of all ages. Toddlers and preschoolers can keep things simple with googly eyes and fluffy yarn hair, while older kids can get creative adding funny faces, accessories, wild hairstyles, and their own unique details. Every rock ends up with its own personality!
Supplies For Decorating
- smooth rocks
- googly eyes
- craft glue
- permanent marker
- colorful yarn, mini pom-poms, felt, construction paper, or fabric scraps for decorating
Pet Rock Hair Ideas
For extra-fluffy pet rock hair, make a loose yarn pom-pom before gluing it on. Simply loop the yarn, tie it tightly in the middle, then cut the loops to create a fluffy bundle.
For extra wild and frizzy hair, gently pull apart and unravel the strands of yarn with your fingers. Keep separating and fluffing the fibers until the hair is as fuzzy and crazy as you’d like!
Once you’re ready to decorate, use a cotton swab or small paintbrush to apply a generous layer of glue wherever you’d like to add the hair.
Now for the fun part—go crazy decorating your pet rocks however you’d like! Give them silly or sweet faces with googly eyes, mini pom-pom or felt noses, then draw on extra details like a big smile, freckles, eyelashes, eyebrows, or anything else that gives your little rock some personality. The ideas are endless!
This is a great boredom buster for a rainy afternoon, quiet weekend, playdate, or anytime you need an easy activity to keep the kids entertained. It’s inexpensive, low mess, simple to set up, and can keep little hands busy for quite a while. Plus, when they’re finished crafting, they have a collection of goofy new “pets” to play with, name, and display around the house.
Helpful Tips
- Be sure to wash your rocks first and let them dry completely. Glue sticks much better to a clean, dust-free surface!
- You can also paint your rocks in bright, fun colors before decorating to give each little pet even more personality.
- Get creative and turn your pet rocks into anything you can imagine—from silly monsters with lots of eyes to adorable lions, frogs, bumblebees, puppies, penguins, and more!
If you like this easy craft idea, check out this big list of Cheap Craft Ideas For Kids!
