Painted Rock Art for Fun Hibernation Lesson for Kids

This creative, quick, and easy craft will teach kids of all ages, about the many animals that hibernate in the winter. These cute pet rocks can be made at home, outside, or in the classroom, and can be modified for any age! All you need for this adorable and simple art craft are some rocks, paint, and the great outdoors!

Finished painted hibernating pet rock art craft for kids on the ground outside - Kids Activities Blog — Let’s get outside and create this fun craft!

Painted Pet Rock Craft to Learn about Hibernation

These hibernating pet rocks are incredibly easy to make, inspire creativity, and get kids outside. This is a fun and easy way to teach kids of any age about hibernating animals and challenges them to be creative and curious.

Related: More painted rock ideas for kids

This art craft can be modified for any age by challenging kids to learn about hibernation, with just some rocks and paint. It also encourages them to use their creativity to transform a rock into an animal and problem-solve to find a way to hide their hibernating pet rocks so they can stay safe, warm, and dry while they hibernate during the winter. If you would like to learn more about hibernation before beginning this craft look at the end of the article.

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Supplies Needed

Rocks (You can find these outside!)
Paint
Paint Brushes
Mod Podge

Instructions to make hibernating rocks:

6 squares of the steps to make this craft, one rocks outside, two a rock being rinsed in the sink, three a rock being painted to look like a bear, four bear rock coated in mod podge, five two painted pet rocks drying, six finished painted hibernating pet rocks hiding outside under a small piece of wood. — Here are the easy steps to learn about Hibernation through painted rocks!

Learn and get outside: Teach your kids about hibernation, then go find some rocks outside to decorate.
Wash and dry: Wash and dry the rocks to make sure there is no dirt on them so the paint sticks.
Paint: Paint the rocks to look like cute hibernating creatures.
Seal: Cover the stones with mod podge so the rain won’t ruin the paint.
Dry: Wait for them to dry.
Hide: Find a place to hide your animal outside so they can hibernate for the winter. Cover them with warm leaves, bark, and other natural things to help them hide and keep them dry

experience making these hibernating hiding stones

Finished painted hibernating pet rock art craft for kids hidden under a piece of wood on the ground outside - Kids Activities Blog — Our cute hidden painted rocks peeking from their hibernation spot

The process of creating this craft was incredibly simple and easy. The most challenging part for me was using my creativity to choose a rock that I could transform into an animal.
For my craft, I chose to make a brown bear and a black bear, but kids can choose any animal that might hibernate, such as frogs, bats, turtles, or hedgehogs! See below for more hibernation facts for kids…
After gathering all my materials, I had a lot of fun painting the rocks. Once they dried I ventured outside to find a place to hide them. This turned out to be my favorite part, and despite the cool weather, exploring the trail where I hid my hibernating pet rocks was an enjoyable way to be active and explore.

More information about hibernation

Why hibernation?

Hibernation is a state of conserving energy. When animals are hibernating, they aren’t exactly sleeping. Their body temperature and heart rate drop so that less energy is being used. This allows them to save energy from the food they eat before going into hibernation. By eating as much food as possible and going into hibernation before it gets too cold, it ensures they can survive the long cold winters when food is scarce.

For more facts about hibernation for kids, check out Nat Geo Kids.

What Animals Hibernate?

Different species of animals hibernate in different ways too! For example, bears may hibernate in caves, while frogs sometimes hibernate at the bottom of a lake. Smaller animals like chipmunks may build nests under the ground or inside trees. Even your pet hamsters can experience something similar to hibernation called torpor when their living environment gets colder or darker (see more information at Brittanica).

Learn more about what animals hibernate at Brittanica.

Learning about Hibernation

Just like the many different species and methods of hibernation, you and your kids can get creative and learn about hibernation in a fun and unique way with this fun and easy craft! Encourage your kids to choose other animals that hibernate, and find ways to hide and protect their hibernating pet stone creations! To enhance this activity for older kids, have them write about what they learned about hibernation and how they know their hibernating pet rock will stay safe and warm throughout the winter. You can also explore the individual species, what they eat to prepare for winter, and how they hibernate!

This easy and simple craft offers a rich blend of both creativity, exploration, learning, and fun! The excitement kids will have getting to create their very own hibernating pet rocks allows this activity to be both educational and enjoyable! This simple yet engaging craft not only provides a hands-on biology lesson for any age group but will foster a deeper connection with nature and environmental awareness for both children and adults alike!