Did you ever have a pet rock? You hunted for that perfect rock–just the right size and shape. You painted it with great care. Maybe you made a shoebox house for it or found just the right place in your mom’s flowerbed for it to live. What if you could introduce your kids to rock painting with a more meaningful twist?

Rock painting and hiding groups are popping up all over the country, loosely based on The Kindness Rocks Project. Megan Murphy started painting rocks and leaving them for others to find as a way to spread inspiration and encouragement. The Today Show even had an article recently about this fun trend with rocks!

I am from Northwest Iowa, and I recently came across the Boji Rocks Facebook group via some friends up there. We happened to be visiting my parents over Memorial Day weekend, so we thought we’d try it out! We had so much fun making our creations, hiding them, and looking for other Boji Rocks!

Let’s be honest – we all have many stressors in our lives these days. I don’t know about you, but often I forget to “stop and smell the roses,” to appreciate the little things that are bright spots in my days. Think about how fun it would be to come across a pretty painted rock with a picture or quote on it!

With this post, The Corridor Rocks! is born! People of all ages can participate in brightening others’ day with this simple game of Hide and Seek. Here’s how you can get involved and join in the fun!

How to Participate in “The Corridor Rocks!”

1. Search for good painting rocks!

I like big smooth ones, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

2. Clean ’em up.

Remove any dirt or moss and let them dry. We just used sponges and and old toothbrush with some water.

3. Paint your rocks.

You can use tempera paint, acrylics, washable paint, etc. to paint your designs. (We actually used some old stencil paints my mom had lying around!) It worked well to put paint on paper plates. I would recommend paint brushes with somewhat soft bristles. Ours had pretty stiff bristles which didn’t always end up in a smooth paint application.

4. After they’re dry, mark them as Corridor Rocks!

On the back of your rocks, either print and attach a label (found in the Files section in the Facebook group) using glue or Mod Podge, OR write #corridorrocks on the back with a Sharpie. Regular Sharpies will work well for writing on dry paint, but if you haven’t painted the back of your rock, try Sharpie Oil-Based Paint Markers.

5. Seal your rocks so they can withstand our Eastern Iowa weather.

We used a quick-drying clear spray that we picked up at Wal-Mart. I did two light coats. (If you’ve glued the Corridor Rocks label on the back, make sure you clear coat that, too.)

6. Take pictures of your Corridor Rocks

Post them in the Facebook group for others to see!

7. Go hide your rocks in the corridor.

Keep in mind that this activity can span a wide age range, so the “hiding spots” can be as obvious as you’d like them. Parks and playgrounds are good places to hide your rocks. We also hid some along a bike trail. I’ve seen pictures of rocks hidden at businesses (near the door at Hy-Vee, on the Redbox unit at Walgreens, etc.), community locations (schools, libraries, etc.), and neighborhoods, but make sure you get permission if you intend to hide Corridor Rocks on private property.

8. Take a picture of your rocks in their hiding places.

This could also be a picture that gives a clue about where you’ve hidden them. It may be a particular slide at a park, part of a sign, or some other landmark that will help people know the general area you’ve hidden your rocks. Share these pictures and clues in the Facebook group!

9. Seek and Find!

When you find a Corridor Rock, post a picture of it as well as the location you found it! Then figure out where you’re going to re-hide it and post a clue about that. If you fall in love with a rock you’ve found, it’s OK to keep it!

10. Enjoy!

Finally, check in on the Facebook group to see when your creations have brightened someone else’s day!

It’s fun checking back to see if our rocks have been found! Our Ninja Turtle, metallic gold, and American flag rocks have all been posted!

Beyond just the fun of painting and hiding rocks, this activity is great for your kids to get them outdoors, nurture their creativity, work on fine motor skills, think strategically as they hide rocks, and develop observational skills as they hunt for rocks.

Does this sound like something you and your kiddos would enjoy? Join the Facebook group, and start painting and hiding rocks today!

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