This spring, my little ones and I kept finding rocks on our walks that were beautifully painted and many of them had inspirational words on them as well. The more we found, we began to notice on the back of each rock, the hashtag “#Worthingtonrocks”. After a little googling, I found out the mission behind the rocks and found the message to be uplifting and inspiring!
On a day to day basis, it has also been a visual reminder to our young kids the importance of kindness and random acts of kindness. Also, in times of heartache, this has been a way for the people of Worthington to connect and help each other to heal in times of tragedy.
After a little more research, I found out where the mission began. The Kindness Rock Project was created to spread inspiration and motivation for unsuspecting recipients through random inspirational rocks dropped along the way. The founder started her mission in Cape Cod after losing her parents at a young age. She was always looking for signs of their presence and thought others may be looking for signs as well. Since then, the movement has spread all across the country and to places all around the world.
Many Central Ohio communities have joined the movement and it seems to really be taking off this summer. If you are looking for a rainy day activity or just a simple way to connect with your kids, then add this activity to your bucket list. In 6 quick steps, you are on your way!
Kindness Rocks:
- Start by going on a hike and letting your kids explore nature, by finding rocks that are special to them.
- Let your children paint the rocks with their favorite colors and explore different designs with your older children. (Paint them outside as this can be a messy task!)
- Once the paint dries, help your kids write words that are inspirational on them or important messages. My two year old chimed in with “Hug!” “Kiss!” “Sunshine!”
Reese loves to find the rocks that others have hidden! - Once the rocks are dry, take a walk around your city and plant the rocks in different hiding places. (Gas stations, grocery store parking lots, parks,…anywhere you think someone could use a smile!)
- The next day while you’re out and about look for rocks that others have hidden and re-hide them! Enjoy reading the inspirational words with your kids and seeing them smile at the paintings. 🙂
- You can also see if your community has a Facebook page to upload photos. This way families can see who finds their rocks and find out how that one rock made someone’s day!
We had fun placing our rocks all around the community. Maeve didn’t want to make the spots “too hard!”
My kids are always looking for rocks on our walks and wonder who now has the rocks they painted. When we started the project, I wondered if they were too young. But to hear them say, “What does the rock say?!” when they find one is a gift in itself.
