Kindness Project & Painted Rock Scavenger Hunt coincide this week

Above: This week, you can kill two birds with one “Kindness” stone, metaphorically speaking. (contributed photo from 2018 Neary Kindness Rocks project)

Two community movements overlap this week, encouraging the community to make, display and hunt for special painted rocks. (Note: Hunting means spotting and observing. Everyone is asked not to pick up rocks left by others.)

Neary is encouraging its students and families to take part in “Kindness Week”. Students are encouraged to “spread Kindness in Southborough”. One of three suggested ways is through decorating “Kindness Rocks” and putting them out to be seen. (You can read more on that and the other suggestions further down.)

Meanwhile, the Southborough Community Outreach effort sponsored by Kindergroup is encouraging residents to join a month-long “Painted Rock Scavenger Hunt” that started on Friday. The private Facebook group’s* event invites: 

Explore the trails of Southborough: Breakneck Hill, Sudbury Reservoir Trail, Town Forest. . .

Paint a rock and leave it for someone else to spot. And find some that others painted. Please do not pick up the rocks!

You can find the trails info on the Town’s website here.

As you may recall from a post on Friday, it’s not the only scavenger hunt that Kindergroup is encouraging. Through Easter Sunday, the group is also inviting the public to take part of an Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt – to replace the annual gathering at the Community House. (You can also stay tuned for details on an upcoming “Bear Hunt” later this month.)

Below is Neary’s message that was posted in last week’s newsletter for families. It includes advice on how to make the rocks and two other ways to share an uplifting message:

Neary’s Kindness Project

As Neary’s Kindness Week kicks off next week (April 6 – 10) we’d like to begin the week by suggesting a few at-home Kindness Activities. We have three activities to spread Kindness in Southborough.

1. 1. Paint a Kindness Rock(s)! Megan Murphy, the founder of The Kindness Rocks Project, inspires all of us to spread a little kindness by simply painting a rock and leaving it for others to come across and read. These Kindness rocks are only for viewing and not for taking or moving at this time. The best materials for the Kindness Rocks include acrylic paint and/or acrylic paint pens or markers, but you can use any painting supplies (or even Sharpies!) to participate!
   2. Color a picture or write an uplifting message and hang it in a window for others to see.
   3. Write a kindness message on your driveway with chalk for others to read. We hope families will enjoy adding some “kindness” to Southborough neighborhoods. We are hoping that this Kindness Project will spread beyond the students of Neary. We encourage YOU to paint a rock, make a picture or decorate your driveway with any kindness-inspired words or images where others might see and be uplifted by it.

Let’s cover Southborough in Kindness!

We’d love to share our kindness on our Facebook and Twitter sites to celebrate Neary Kindness and encourage others to join in, as well. Please take a picture of your Kindness rock, picture or driveway message and send it to Mrs. Valenti @ kvalenti@nsboro.k12.ma.us with permission from a parent or guardian to use your picture if you are in the photo.

*You can read more about the Southborough Community Outreach sponsored by Kindergroup in my dedicated post. If you want to join the private Facebook Group for more details on upcoming events and access to online only content, click here.