The Kindness Rocks Project is a viral trend where people paint pebbles or rocks and leave them for others to find, collect and re-hide. Re-hiding is encouraged to share the excitement and joy of finding one. This follows the concept of pay is forward, which simply put is when someone does something for you, instead of paying that person back directly, you pass it on to another person instead.
Photos of the painted rocks and hints of where to find them are commonly shared on Facebook groups. The aim is to give a little bit of joy, hope or comfort to the strangers who find them.
Where did it actually begin?
Rock art is an age-old pursuit, but the latest craze can be traced to 2015, when Megan Murphy founded the Kindness Rocks Project. During long walks on Cape Cod beaches, Murphy had a habit of looking for certain kinds of rocks as signs from her late parents. She wondered if others would be receptive to rocks bearing messages, so one day she picked up a marker and wrote short inspirational phrases on five rocks for other beach walkers to find. By coincidence, a friend of Murphy’s found one of the rocks among the thousands of others on that beach, and — unaware that Murphy was the creator — texted her to say the discovery had made her day. “That’s why I say it was divinely inspired,” Murphy said. Convinced she was onto something, she continued painting rocks and leaving them on the beach, later writing #thekindnessrocksproject on the back to encourage people finding them to post pictures on social media.
Soon, people all over the country and beyond were painting rocks, and personal stories started pouring in. Murphy said she learned of someone contemplating suicide who changed course after finding a kindness rock. A marine deployed in Japan told her the painted rock he found there was “like a hug from home.” Local groups created Facebook pages, where painted rock enthusiasts can post photos, communicate about get-togethers and comment on each other’s artwork.
“It’s a social connection,” said Cindy Lung Dwyer, whose Hager Rocks Facebook group in Hagerstown, Maryland, counts more than 4,600 members. “People support each other.”
Grace Cares kindness rocks
One of our founders really embraced the project during lockdown as a safe way to share some happiness in a safe way on her daily walks. The aim is simple, to support and lift others up through a simple act of kindness.
As this ties in with our mission so well we thought wouldn’t it be great to go into care settings and do rock painting activities with the older people and the care workers.
It’s a way of reusing and not creating much carbon expenditure, having an activity lots of people can participate in, a reason to exercise and hide the rocks and ultimately spreading kindness and the message of Grace Cares. Which in turn raises funds to support care workers, older people and their families.
What is really important is to ensure you’re painting and sealing the rocks in a safe and sustainable way.
Musts of rock painting:
- Use non-toxic sealants
- Use non-toxic paints
- Do not add stickers, glitter or google eyes to your rocks as they can harm animals
- Be respectful of the environment
Don’t worry, we have vetted eco friendly supplies and have compiled all of the supplies needed for participation.
Musts of rock hiding:
- Asking local officials and business owners for permission to leave rocks on their premises
- Do not leave in nature beauty spots
- Be respectful of the environment
If you see a Grace Cares kindness rock on your travels we would love to see a picture and know where it is on our Facebook page. This way the person who painted it will be updated on how far it’s travelled! I wonder if any will make it international?!
If you’d like a kindness rock activity pack for your care setting, please do get in touch.
Let’s be part of this kindness rock scavenger hunt to promote positivity and kindness. For those of you going through hard times or simply needing a small pick-me-up, Grace Cares are out to spread a bit of happiness through small hand-painted sustainably created rocks.
PST. Grace Cares also offsets carbon by planting trees and conducting regular reviews of processes to ensure they are carried about in the most environmentally efficient and sustainable manner.
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