Hiding and finding painted rocks has become quite popular. I hadn’t heard of this before, until I happened to show a friend of mine some of the rock that I had painted just for fun. She excitedly told me I should hide them! Huh? Hide them where? Why would I want to hide my painted rocks? I would rather be able to look at them and let others admire them.

Hiding and finding painted rocks

At first I didn’t understand it, but after my friend told me the premise behind hiding painted rocks, it made a little more sense to me. Here is how it works:

~People paint rocks with the sole purpose of hiding them for people to find.

~Someone happens to be wandering around town and sees a painted rock and picks it up.

~The person turns the rock over and sees writing on the back, usually indicating whether the finder should keep the rock or re-hide it.

~If the finder of the rock decides to keep it, the writing will usually instruct them on where to post about said rock on Facebook, along with a hashtag.

Rock painting groups

Typically there are rock painting Facebook groups for different geographical locations, and when you find a painted rock in your neck of the woods, you post a picture of the rock you found. If the person who hid the rock sees their rock posted, it’s a pretty good feeling!

I found a painted rock!

I actually found a rock at our local Wilco when I was shopping in the gardening department. It was in the pot of a gigantic hibiscus plan that I was buying. I noticed the rock as I was placing the plant in my cart. I have to admit, it kind of made my day. Here is a photo showing the front and back, so you can see what I am talking about:

Painted rocks can travel far and wide

That is the gist of the rock hiding game. Sounds fun, right? It really is… especially when an out of town painted rock is found – now THAT is exciting! When rocks travel to far off destinations, and are hidden over and over again, it is interesting to see where they end up. If you are in or near a tourist area, this is especially possible to get this chain of travel started.

You don’t have to be an artist to paint rocks

The painting of rocks isn’t a perfection thing. The kids should have fun with this and be able to paint however they want. Sometimes as an adult it is easy to want to oversee things, especially when it is something that others will be seeing or finding. In this game, nobody cares – it’s the thrill of finding the rock that matters. It is also the pride of hiding the “masterpiece” painted rock that they created that brings joy to the little ones. Just enjoy.

Look for rocks in your own yard.

You don’t necessarily have to buy rocks. Depending on where you live, you might be able to find paintable rocks right in your own backyard…or front yard. Always be on the lookout for interesting shapes too. You might find a shape that would be perfect for a certain animal for instance. I am fortunate to live on some acreage and we have a bunch of river rocks and also a lot of large slate pieces. I have also purchased some small river rocks from Amazon as I love the detail work when I am painting rocks.

I’ve linked a few products below {*please note: these are affiliate links} in case you are interested in joining in the fun in your area. It really is a blast for kids and adults alike.

Share your creations with us!

If you do paint some rocks, I would be thrilled to see them, and would love to include them on a future post, or on my Facebook page!  Here is the link to my Facebook page – feel free to post pictures of your painted rock creations!