In cities across the United States, people paint and decorate rocks, then place them in public locations for others to find -- a fun way for families and individuals to share joy with others. Here in Central Virginia, Lynchburg Rocks is a public Facebook group whose membership has grown from 650 members in July to more than 3,800 in September. There's probably at least one rock painting group in your area too.
A pinned post on the Lynchburg Rocks Facebook page states:
"We are painting and hiding rocks around Lynchburg to spread the good, strengthen community bonds and to encourage family-friendly fun. This is a community building group meant to inspire creativity in all ages and encourage people to explore the community we live in."
There are additional 'rocks' Facebook groups all across Virginia. A Facebook search returns many groups, including: two Virginia Rocks groups, Roanoke VA Rocks, Virginia Beach Rocks, Bedford VA Rocks, Farmville VA Rocks, RVA Rocks (Richmond area), Faith Rocks Virginia, Kindness Rocks (Timberlake and Campbell County area), Chesapeake Rocks VA, Damascus Virginia Rocks, and many other groups.
What a simple and fun idea -- perfect for a Macaroni Kid craft day, wherever you live! After reading about the Lynchburg Rocks group, we gathered a group of family and friends for a rock painting party. Our group of kids ranged in age from toddlers to 'tweens. We also had several moms and one grandma painting and decorating rocks. Here are some tips to get you started, whether you want to paint and hide rocks or just search for them.
How to Get Started Painting Rocks
1. Join a Facebook rock painting group. It's easy to find a local group by entering your city, town, or county name followed by the word "rocks" in the Facebook search bar. You may be surprised how many groups pop up. Joining one or more groups will help you find the best locations to hide rocks and search for them, connect with other local rock painters, and see some amazing rock art.
2. Buy rocks. There are large bags for sale at Home Depot and smaller quantities at craft stores. Check at local stores that sell mulch and other outdoor products too.
3. Use acrylic paint. You can purchase small, inexpensive tubes of acrylic paint and paint brushes at Walmart or other discount stores.
4. Let rocks dry between coats of paint. We laid our painted rocks outside on newspaper on a sunny day and they dried quickly.
5. Use paint or markers to decorate painted rocks. Our older kids created multi-colored swirls of paint and dipped the rocks to make really amazing designs. Some of our other designs included: hearts, word art, minions, watermelon, aliens, chickens, cats, donuts, and lots more.
6. Paint a few extra rocks for your littles to keep. Let each child paint a rock or two that they'll keep. They will be happier sharing the joy of their creations if they have one to keep.
7. On the backs of the rocks, write the name of your group to help those who find the rocks know the story behind them. Add your first name or the date if you wish. Some people use a hashtag instead of the Facebook group.
8. Seal the rocks after the paint is dry. This will protect your rocks from the elements. We used Mod Podge, but you can also use a spray fixative.
9. Place your rocks at public places in the community, but make sure they are easy to find. It's not an Easter egg hunt. The goal is for the rocks to be easily found. We use a box with compartments to transport painted rocks from home. This keep the rocks from sticking to each other on hot days.
10. Post a photo of the rocks you're hiding on Facebook on your group's page and on your own timeline if you wish. Some people like to add a hint about where to find the rocks.
11. Hide them and let it go. This may be the most difficult part, since most of us are curious about where our creations travel. Maybe someone will find your rocks, maybe they won't. Maybe you'll know where they end up and maybe you won't. It's all for fun and your creation will bring joy to the finder.
Where to Hide (and Search for) Painted Rocks in Your Area
1. Parks are great. Look for good 'hiding' places that are out in the open.
2. Walking, biking, and running trails are also good places to hide rocks. Be sure the rocks aren't where someone will trip over them.
3. Downtown areas offers many rock hiding places. Take a walk down the main streets downtown and look for places out in the open.
4. Some other locations rocks have been hidden and found locally include: ball fields, outside area grocery stores and restaurants, and in local neighborhoods. Anywhere people walk is a good place to hide rocks.
What to Avoid
1. Don't hide rocks in tall grass. Rocks and lawnmowers don't mix!
2. Don't hide or search on private property. Respect property lines. Keep your searching and hiding in public locations.
3. Don't take rocks from a business or private residence. It's best to buy rocks to paint.
4. Keep it family-friendly. Please don't use inappropriate words, pictures, or decorations on your rocks.
What to Do When You FIND a Rock
1. It's your choice. You can keep your rock or rehide in another location.
2. Post a photo of the rock you find in your local Facebook group or on your Facebook or Instagram feed o spread interest and let the painter know where the rock is now.
3. Tell friends, family, and neighbors about your rock painting adventures and invite them to join the fun.
4. Spread the joy! Consider painting and hiding more rocks. It's a lot of fun for kids of all ages -- from toddlers to seniors!
10 Design Ideas for Rock Painting
Whether or not you're an artistic person, these 10 ideas for creating unique painted rocks will bring delight to the painter and those who find the rocks. For many of the designs, start by painting your entire rock a solid color. Once the rock dries, use contrasting colors to add designs.
1. Patterns. Paint stripes, dots, zig-zags, color block patterns, or color swirled designs using multiple colors.
2. Word Art. Paint your entire rock a solid color, then use paint or fine line permanent markers to write inspirational, religious, or funny quotes.
3. Movie or Cartoon Characters. Draw or paint your child's favorite cartoon character, animated movie character, fictional character, or superhero.
4. Sports designs or logos. Decorate your rock with your favorite sports team's logo, or use solid colors and simple lines to create a baseball, basketball, football, soccer ball, or volleyball.
5. Nature themes. Paint a sunrise or sunset, mountains or ocean waves, a starry night or rainbow on your rock.
6. Monsters. Add a funny or scary face to a solid colored painted rock for an easy monster rock.
7. Hearts, flowers, or smiley faces. A round rock easily becomes a smiley face or flower. Paint a bouquet of flowers or multiple hearts on a larger rock.
8. Animals. Use your imagination or find images online to create an owl, shark, pig, ladybug, dolphin, horse, butterfly, penguin, cat, dog, dinosaur, unicorn, or other animal.
9. Food. Create a fun rock appetizer or entree. Some possibilities include: pizza slice, ice cream cone, strawberry, and watermelon slice.
10. Seasonal themes. Paint a Christmas tree or snowman, jack-o-lantern or witch, Easter bunny or Easter egg, or use red, white, and blue to design an American flag or patriotic rock.
So now you know what rock painting is all about. Have a little fun painting and hiding rocks with your little ones. The joy of creating, hiding, and finding painted rocks will bring a smile to your child's face.
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