Belize Rocks

This group is about painting rocks and building a sense of community, with kids and adults creating & hiding rocks in & around Belize for others to find.
It is fun way to try something new, get out & about with the family, spread joy, happiness, gratitude and messages about protecting our planet.

You can write on the back so people can find us here and Instagram.

What is rock hiding?
Quite simply, rock hiding is the placing of decorated rocks around a local area for others to find.
Ordinary, natural rocks are found in the natural environment, or alternatively bought, then decorated with paints, pens, chalks, glitter, or other materials. Finally, a protective varnish glaze is added to preserve the artwork and prevent it from coming off when found.
When did the rock hiding craze begin?
There doesn’t seem to be an exact date when the latest craze began, and indeed decorating rocks in itself is nothing new.
However, around the summer of 2018 is when we first noticed local groups in the UK springing up to facilitate decorating, hiding, recording rocks and stones.

How can I start rock painting/hiding?
The beauty of rock painting and hiding is that it’s so simple to get started.
In fact, many people start almost before they’ve realised, by finding a painted rock somewhere while out and about, seeing some writing on the back which directs them to an online group, being curious and then getting hooked!
You can play the game without creating a thing, simply by hunting around you for decorated rocks and stones, photographing them, posting them online. then hiding them again for someone else to find.
If you decide you’d like to have a go at creating rocks, you only need a few materials – a rock (obviously), plus suitable paints, pens or other ways of marking the rock, and then some sealant to protect the artwork and stop the paints and inks coming off on the hands of anyone who finds it.
The next two sections will help you gather the materials you need and explain the five stages of the rock painting/hiding lifecycle.
The five stages of rock painting and hiding
1. Find your rocks
2. Decorate your rocks
3. Seal your rocks
4. Hide your rocks
Unless you can’t bear to part with your rock once you’ve decorated it, the next step is to hide it somewhere in the great outdoors for someone else to find.
You can hide your rock pretty much anywhere, so long as you use common sense and don’t break any laws.
Stay on public land unless you have the permission of a land or property owner to hide a rock.
Don’t put rocks high up, in the middle of paths or steps, or anywhere else they could pose a hazard to anyone walking by or trying to collect them.
Think about school runs, parks, shopping centers and town centers.
5. Find other people’s rocks
If you want to hunt for other people’s painted rocks, try going to popular places in your town or county, or further afield. As stated above, this can be popular venues, outdoor spaces, school runs and town centers.
When you’re lucky enough to find a rock, take a photo of it and post it to this group’s online page (you have to request to join the page if this is the first rock you’ve found from a particular area).
Don’t assume just because you find a rock in a town or county that it originated from there. Take a look on the back for clues as to its origin. Many rocks have the name of the group which it ‘belongs’ to.
Once you’ve found a rock, it’s good etiquette to hide it again as soon as you can. If you really love a rock and want to keep it, generally that’s OK, but consider replacing it with one or more of your own creations.
If you find a large number of rocks in an area, that most likely means it’s a popular area for rock hunting. Etiquette suggests that you should re-hide the majority of the rocks you’ve just found in the same area. Many parents now take their kids to particular areas specifically to hide and seek rocks, so don’t spoil things by removing a whole load.

We invite all districts of Belize to be part of this movement. Have fun and enjoy !