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Make kindness pebbles

First suggested by The British Red Cross
Write a kind message and hide it in your local community to brighten someone's day.

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You’ll need

  • Paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Permanent markers
  • Craft pebbles or rocks
  • Paint pens

Before you begin 

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
  • Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help. 

Planning and setting up this activity

  • You may wish to create some examples.

Running this activity

  1. Gather everyone together and explain how rocks or pebbles are often painted and then hidden for others to find. Some people may have found rocks like this too.
  2. Everyone should take a pebble.
  3. Draw out the design or words in pencil first. 
  4. Next, begin painting it.
  5. Once finished, you may wish to use something to seal the paint or weatherproof it.
  6. People could create a letter each to write a supportive message as part of a pebble display to place in your local community, rather than creating separate pebbles.
  7. Decide whether to place the rocks somewhere in the local community or whether to give them to someone else.
  • You matter!
  • Shine bright
  • You’ve got this
  • Be kind to others and yourself.
  • Your smile brightens the world.
  • Always be yourself.
  • You are strong.
  • Believe in yourself.
  • Dream big!
  • You are enough.

Reflection

This activity was about doing something kind for others and thinking about the difference this makes. Imagine that you found one of the rocks while having a bad day. How would it make you feel to find the kindness rock? Would it make you feel better? Would it make you want to reach out to other people having a bad time?

Tell the group to think about the rocks they made. What impact could the kindness rock have on the people who see it? Will it make a difference in the community or with your friend? How will the kind message help?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.

Make it accessible

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Community Impact Stage 1
Community Impact Stage 2
Community Impact Stage 3
Community Impact Stage 4

Write kind messages on bookmarks and put them inside library books for others to find.

Everyone can choose their stone’s design and message, based on what’s important to them.