Summer Rocks

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summer rocks | Des Moines Moms BlogNeed an idea to get crafty this summer? Want to get your kids outside? Looking for a fun and inexpensive activity? Rock hunting and hiding is perfect! 

Last summer on Facebook I saw different towns around the nation had started rock painting and hiding. I thought it would be a cool idea to start in Waukee. Our family painted some rocks including a hashtag #WaukeeRocks, set up a Facebook page and Instagram account, and created a short video to spread the word.

We rode our bikes around town hiding rocks. Through our video, we invited others to do the same. Then the fun started. The day we were out and about hiding rocks, we actually found a rock someone else had hidden and that there was another Facebook group for Waukee. 

I also found rocks groups in Grimes, Dallas Center, Ankeny, Des Moines, Urbandale, and Johnston on Facebook as well as a second Des Moines group called Kindness Rocks Des Moines.

Create Your Own Summer Rocks

If your town has a rocks group already, join the group! See what it’s all about and see how people are labeling their rocks. Are people giving clues to where rocks are? Take your kids out on a walk to see if they can find them!

Paint some rocks with your kids to hide around town. Check Pinterest for ideas of what to paint on the rocks and how best to seal them. I’ve seen quite a variety from permanent markers to paint to paint sealed in with sealant, and more. Do what works for you so it’s not a chore. The world will not end if the paint washes or wears off your rocks because you didn’t have the time or energy to seal them. Make sure to include the local hashtag or directions to find the group so people know where to go if they find a rock. Some people type up a piece of paper with directions and use sealant to adhere it to their rocks.

What do you do if you find a rock? Take a photo with it! Share the photo in your local group or on social media. You can choose to keep the rock or re-hide it. The common courtesy is that if you do choose to keep rocks, you should create new ones so the fun keeps going. 

If your town doesn’t have a rocks group or page, start one! You can either do a private group or a public page. I think there are pros and cons to each. Some people don’t want to share pictures of their children holding rocks in on a public page (which is why some prefer a private group) and others are okay with it. For our Facebook page and Instagram account, I tell people to message me the photos so I can post them, or they can use the hashtag on their own posts. 

I love rock hiding because it is low cost and gets us outside exploring nature. 

Have you participated in your town’s rock group?

Does your town have a rock group that I didn’t know about? Drop it in the comments below!

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Becky
Becky grew up in Iowa and moved to Waukee in 2009 after she and her husband, Russ, settled into teaching jobs in the Metro. She and Russ have been married since June 2006 and have three boys, Henry (2010), Wesley (2013), and Calvin (2015). She teaches in Waukee and loves the small town feel that one of the fastest growing zip codes in the U.S. has to offer. For fun, Becky enjoys spending time with her boys, blogging at ByBMG, keeping up with fashion and make-up, making crafts that can be accomplished in a nap time, and “vacations” to Target.

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