Paint stones, spread joy

Earlier this summer while on vacation in the tiny northern community of Lakeside, Ohio, we took pleasure in the art of painting rocks. It seemed everyone up there was doing it to pass the time and adorn their cottage yards along the shores of Lake Erie. The playful rocks were everywhere, hiding in plain sight as avocados, lady bugs and SpongeBobs.

Back home in Columbus, we’ve been trying to find things for the kids to do as the pandemic continues to limit travel and curb the opening of attractions. I thought we could have some fun painting rocks of our own. It’s an oddly therapeutic activity, transforming dull stones into whimsical creations.

It’s also fun to write inspirational messages on them, such as “you rock,” or “don’t take life for granite,” and hide the rocks in your neighborhood for others to find.

Painting rocks is easy. We found stones that had at least one flat side worked well. We also collected pieces of slate from a nearby stream. If rocks are in short supply, you can always buy some from a landscaping store.

Get some paint — acrylic works best — and a set of brushes of varying sizes. Permanent markers and paint pens are good for writing messages. It’s not necessary, but you can apply a base coat first and then seal your work with a coat of gloss.

Up your game by joining a rock-hiding group. Here are four, including three in the Buckeye State: the Kindness Rock Project, Northeast Ohio Rocks, Ohio Rocks Rule and Columbus Ohio Rocks.

Participants paint rocks and hide them. If you find a rock, take a photo of it and post it on the groups’ Facebook page, then re-hide the rock. You can use hashtags to follow the whereabouts of favorite rocks.

Rock on!