It’s the most rockin’ activity to share with your kids this summer!
Painting rocks is no longer a last-resort craft for bored kids. It’s a full-force kindness movement taking the entire nation by storm.
The idea behind it is simple. Participants find rocks and paint them, sometimes leaving an inspirational quote or word on their rock art, then hide them somewhere in their hometown. When an unsuspecting person stumbles upon the rock, they are expected to hide it in a new spot and paint a rock of their own to contribute to the project. The ultimate goal is to brighten someone’s day with their find, a small token of kindness meant to be paid forward.
And apparently a little act of kindness goes a long way. Literally thousands of rock-painting groups have begun popping up across the country and even internationally in the past few months.
Here in Staten Island, a Facebook group called Staten Island Rocks! was formed in April by local mom Alicia Marshall after her daughter came across a video about rock painting and begged her mom to start a new movement on the Island. The group encourages members to take a picture when they find a rock and post it to the group page, then hide it in a new spot.
Marshall is anxious to see kindness rock painting take off in Staten Island this summer the way it has in neighboring boroughs. “I’m a teacher and I really value my summers with my kids,” she told Staten Island Parent. “I hope that this will inspire other families to get out, get creative, and start spending more quality time outside and away from the screen with each other.”
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A Massachusetts life coach is credited with the very first kindness rock. Megan Murphy started the Kindness Rock Project after marking a few inspirational quotes on rocks at the beach, leaving them for others to find. On her website, thekindnessrocksproject.com, you’ll find tips for painting the perfect rocks as well as some suggestions for inspiring quotes to add to the rocks.
The Kindness Rock Project website also strongly urges rock painters to be very mindful and respectful of the environment and their community, never dropping rocks in national parks or private property and always using non-toxic paint or spray.
Ready to start painting and hiding rocks with your family? CLICK HERE to link to the Staten Island Rocks! Facebook group and join the movement today.
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