Learn how to do kindness rocks project and why it’s a great for being thankful preschool activities / kindness stones for older kid Thanksgiving projects and to promote random acts of kindness! It’s a great project to pair with a kindness rocks lesson plan, kindness rocks group project and kindness books for kids!
HOW TO DO KINDNESS ROCKS WITH KIDS
If you haven’t heard about the kindness rocks activity, rock painting and kindness rocks movement, then you may have been living under a, well, rock.
Easy Kindness Rocks Instructions
- Purchase or find smooth, flat rocks (river stones).
- Wash and dry your rocks.
- Let the rocks sit overnight to dry completely.
- Prep the rocks by painting a solid coat on them. Allow to dry completely.
- Paint the rocks with kindness rocks quotes, words for kindness rocks, kindness rocks designs, or decorations. Dry completely. (see the list of kindness rocks quotes below)
- Seal the rocks and allow to dry completely.
- Hide your rocks of kindness in approved spots.
(see full DIY kindness rocks directions below)
This seemingly simple yet incredibly impactful craft trend has taken the world by storm to spread random acts of kindness.
Kindness rocks are also called:
- Thankful rocks
- Gratitude stones
- Gratitude rocks
- Painted rocks
- Kindness stones
- Peace rocks
Before we get into how to decorate kindness rocks, let’s talk a little bit about how it all started.
Who Started the Kindness Rocks Project?
So, what is the purpose of kindness rocks? The trend started from The Kindness Rocks Campaign. The idea behind the campaign is that you use rocks as a method of communicating and connecting with a perfect stranger and spreading kindness and gratitude in the world.
When did the kindness rocks project start?
The first kindness rock was left on a beach in 2015. Megan Murphy wrote “You’ve got this” and left it on a Cape Cod beach. After her friend found it, she continued to leave painted rocks and the The Kindness Rocks Project movement was started!
How do you decorate kindness rocks?
The process is relatively self-explanatory (because they’re called “painted rocks”).
Here’s quick overview of how you do it and kindness rocks project rules:
- Collect rocks
- Paint them with a message of your choosing
- Place them anywhere you’d like for someone else to discover them (that you’re allowed to place them!)
Once the rock is found, people re-hide it to brighten someone else’s day.
Many rocks are adorned with a hashtag on the bottom so the images can be shared online before being passed along.
The possibilities are endless and the lengths that some artists go to when decorating is amazing!
DON’T MISS THE FULL KINDNESS ROCK CRAFT DIRECTIONS LATER IN THE POST!
[KEEP SCROLLING!]
Where to find kindness rocks:
- Parks
- Public areas
- Flower beds
- Planter pots
- By creeks
- Hiking trails
- Schools
What do you do if you find a kindness rock?
If you find a kindness rock, you can:
- Hide it again in a different place
- Leave it for someone else to enjoy
- Gift it to a friend
- Keep the rock for yourself
- Re-paint it and re-hide the rock
- Have a kindness rocks challenge with your friend
How To Make A Kindness Rock
What is the best way to paint rocks?
Where can I find painting rocks?
- Your own yard
- Home improvement stores
- Craft stores
- Landscaping centers
- Order rocks online (that’s what we did!)
Kindness Rocks Supplies
What kind of paint do you use on kindness rocks?
What kind of paint do you use for Kindness rocks? The best paint to use on kindness rocks is acrylic paint. Paint a base coat on the rock and allow it to dry. Then, paint your design or saying on the dried base coat. You can also use paint markers. If you can, use non-toxic paint so it doesn’t harm the environment or animals.
Can you use Sharpies on rocks?
Sharpies are not the best choice to use on painted kindness rocks. Sharpie markers will not show up as well as paint or paint markers, Sharpies will fade faster, and when you seal Sharpie markers the designs don’t show up as well.
What pens to use to paint rocks?
Paint pens (paint markers) are one of the best ways to decorate your kindness rocks once you paint a base coat with acrylic paint. Extra-fine point posca paint pens or extra fine point paint markers by Artistro are examples of great pens to use. Stay away from regular Sharpie pens.
What To Paint On Rocks
What do you write on rock kindness?
Kindness rocks ideas (rocks of love), rocks art, and rock sayings should be short and simple because you have limited space. Decide if you want to stick with a theme or if you want to write random motivational quotes. You can also just leave designs and drawings on your rocks with no sayings.
Here are some kindness rocks ideas, rock quotes, quotes for kindness rocks, and funny sayings on rocks.
Kindness Rocks Sayings List
Kindness rocks project ideas:
- Be Kind
- Bee Kind (with a picture of a bee)
- Be the I in kind
- You Rocks!
- You Matter
- Relax!
- Have Fun Today!
- Lookin’ Good
- Happy Day!
- So Stylish!
- Share the Luv
- Grow Something
- Be Yourself
- Help Others
- This Is Your Sign
- Share a Smile
- Inspire
- Love
- Believe
- Create
- Pray
- Peace rocks
- Be Creative!
- You Are Magical
- Hang In There!
- Bible Verse numbers (so people will be inspired to look them up)
- Happy rocks (with different happy face rock art)
Use these or more for kindness rocks examples!
How do you seal kindness rocks?
What is the best sealant for painted rocks? The campaign recommends that you paint one coat of Mod Podge, allowing it to dry, and then spraying a clear coat of craft sealant to seal the rocks and protect them against weathering.
FAQ Kindness Rocks
What does it mean if you find a painted rock?
When you find a painted rock it means that you get to have a little bit of joy brought into your day! Take a picture of your rock and then hide it for someone else to find and brighten their day!
What do you do with kindness rocks?
Once you’ve painted your kindness rock, you will want to “hide” it in an open space where it can be found. You do not want to hide it in places that will disturb nature or could be run over by lawn mowers or landscaping equipment. Once your find it, take a picture with it and then hide it back where you found it or relocate it to a new location. You want to leave it for someone else to enjoy!
They’re even fun to learn how to make a kindness rock garden at your own house!
What do you do with a painted rock when you find it? (Kindness Rocks Rules)
Traditionally, when you find a painted rock, you should hide it again to be enjoyed by others. (Don’t forget to take a picture with it first!) Just make sure that you are hiding them in places that allow it and where it doesn’t disturb nature or interfere with people working.
IMPORTANT: There is a great deal of debate going on about hiding rocks in public parks. Most parks have a “leave no trace” rule. Unless you have specific permission from the park, we don’t recommend leaving painted rocks there.
Where should you hide painted rocks?
Where to put kindness rocks:
- Playgrounds
- Along walking / biking trails
- At a friend’s house / on their porch
- In a flower pot or planter
- Hospital (outdoor) courtyard*
- Outside of the library*
- Around your neighborhood
- Public lakes / beaches
- On someone’s desk as a surprise
- School or community garden*
- Statues or monuments
- Fountains
- Inside your own house for your family to find!
You can even make it into a hide and seek rock game during a party.
*with permission
Where should you not hide painted rocks?
- In the grass anywhere (they can damage lawn mowers and equipment)
- Public parks (state and national)
- Nature center
- In hospitals
- Inside businesses (unless you have permission)
- Amusement parks
What are friendship rocks?
Friendship rocks are decorated like kindness rocks, with different sayings and drawings. However, you give them to specific friends with messages for them!
Our contributor Samantha Lee is going to walk you through how to make kindness rocks, kindness rocks instructions, and the kindness rocks how to from her own experience!
Why We Decided to Do Gratitude Rocks (Kindness Rocks)
I heard of rock painting, but had yet to experience it firsthand.
As luck would have it, my 5-year-old found his first rock while leaving the local library one day. You would have thought he stumbled upon a piece of gold in that garden patch!
And, in a way, he did.
The “beautiful, magic rock” as it became known in our house was the topic of discussion for the next few days.
The effect that this had on my children made me wonder how we could find a way to incorporate it into our homeschool studies with our gratitude activities.
Gratitude is a recurrent theme that we all reinforce with our little ones.
True thankfulness, though, is something that can be difficult to “teach” so we decided to learn how to make the kindness rocks project.
Since these are concepts that can be challenging to address, especially with young children, I decided the project kindness rocks are an excellent way to help them visualize thankfulness.
How to Make Painted Kindness Rocks (Thankful Stones)
Painting Kindness Rocks Step #1. Get the right rocks for your painted stones.
You will need larger, flat stones for this craft.
It feels funny typing this, but I am nothing if not thorough.
Ironically, there are more choices in the craft stones category than you would think.
You can certainly pick up a few random rocks from outside (river rocks seem to work best), but they often require a bit of prep work.
They will need to be cleaned and dried thoroughly before paint can be applied.
We opted for a small bag of decorative rocks from the craft store instead.
I liked how smooth the rocks were, providing a fresh canvas for painting.
As anyone who has ever done a craft project with children under the age of 10 knows, time is limited.
The less time having to prep, the better!
Painting Kindness Rocks Step #2. Select the right paint for your rocks.
Since the rocks will be placed outside, acrylic paints or paint pen markers
are good choices to withstand the elements.
The paint is very affordable, but some of the paint pen markers can get pricey.
Pay attention to the price!
We purchased paint at the craft store for less than a dollar a bottle, so you can stock up on a variety of colors.
Kindness Rocks Tip:
To really make your colors pop, try adding a layer of white paint first to the entire rock before painting your messages and designs.
Painting Kindness Rocks Step #3. Purchase paint brushes for your kindness rocks.
There is a wide variety of brushes that you can select from to achieve your desired look.
My go-to is always something that will be simple and affordable.
In this case, I selected an inexpensive variety pack of brushes that I knew we could pitch when we were done.
Kindness Rocks Tip:
I also picked up a medium tipped white paint marker
to write a personal message on our rocks. I found this a little easier to control than the paint brush for the message or quotes.
Painting Kindness Rocks Step #4. Paint your stones!
Once you have collected your materials, you can begin constructing your masterpieces!
It really is that simple!
The beauty of this craft is that you can customize your rock and message to whatever you like:
- Holidays
- Causes
- Awareness campaigns
- Motivational sayings
And more!
The choices are endless!
(You can even make rocks to go along with a theme lesson you’ve covered!)
Kindness Rocks Tip:
Be sure to let layers of paint fully dry before moving on to the next layer or color to avoid smudging.
Painting Kindness Rocks Step #5. Seal your rocks.
Once your rocks are painted and have dried, you will want to seal them—especially if they are going to be placed outside. (You don’t know how long they’re going to sit outside before someone finds them!)
So, how do you seal kindness rocks?
You can seal your kindness rocks with clear acrylic spray sealer.
Once the paint (or paint pen) is dry on the rocks, spray completely with the clear sealer.
Once again, let it dry completely before placing it outside.
Painting Kindness Rocks Step #6. Place your rocks!
Have fun finding creating areas to place your kindness rocks.
You don’t want to hide them too well because you want people to find them.
But, this doesn’t mean that you can’t find some off the beaten path places, either!
DON’T MISS KINDNESS BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS TO GO ALONG WITH THIS CRAFT!
[CHECK IT OUT AFTER THIS SECTION!]
Our Kindness Rocks Experience
We decided our kindness rocks would honor of Veterans’ Day, so we decided to focus our efforts on those who have served.
We selected red, white, and blue paint for our rocks.
The kids had a blast painting the American flag, stars and stripes, and more.
While they were painting, it provided a wonderful opportunity to discuss the importance of those who have served to protect our freedoms.
We allowed a full 24-hours for our rocks to dry before distributing them.
The next day we stopped by our local VFW and American Legion to leave our “beautiful, magic rocks” for others to find as well.
While a very small gesture to express our gratitude to those who served, this simple and inexpensive craft provided such an amazing opportunity to spread a little kindness.
It also inspired a wonderful conversation about heroism, bravery, and gratitude.
Overall, this craft rocked!
Be Kind Books for Kids To Go Along With The Kindness Rocks Craft
Contributor Samantha Lee is a homeschooling mom and blogger in the Pittsburgh area. As a wife, homeschooling parent, and freelancer, she aspires to grow academically, faithfully, and wholly everyday.
Now that you’ve learned how to do kindness rocks, where will you put your painted rocks?
STARTING HOME SCHOOL? CHECK OUT OUR HOW TO HOMESCHOOL GUIDE
