Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed about her collecting the stones?

207 replies

forestblade · 09/04/2024 00:02

I thought there was an unwritten rule that if you found a stone someone had painted you would pick it up and hide it somewhere else for someone else to find on their walk etc.

My SM now has a collection of painted stones she's found and leaves on her doorstep. I was round the other day and noticed the collection had grown somewhat and was quite surprised and then annoyed. She doesn't paint stones and leave them for others herself, just collects everyone elses!

AIBU??

OP posts:
Thread gallery
16
PeopleAreWeird · 09/04/2024 05:13

These were displayed for a church service and then put on the graves of our local heroes

To be annoyed about her collecting the stones?
DrJoanAllenby · 09/04/2024 05:20

Morgan Rocks! Is a group of Morgana Army followers who are seeking to raise awareness of childhood cancers through hiding beautiful stones for others to find across the U.K. and beyond!

Decorate your own stone and add the words 'Morgan's Army! or our hashtag #MorgsArmy and help spread our message far and wide!

........

That's a Facebook page called Morgan Rocks. The website - morgansarmy.co.uk/morgans-rocks/

WhatWouldJeevesDo · 09/04/2024 05:21

I’ve never come across this stone hiding thing. It might get irritating if it takes over the world.
Impossible looking stacks of rocks on mountains seemed like a novelty at first. I soon began to find them so annoying I kicked a few of them over.

PeopleAreWeird · 09/04/2024 05:22

These were displayed for a church service and then put on the graves of our local heroes

To be annoyed about her collecting the stones?
To be annoyed about her collecting the stones?
ShortLivedComment · 09/04/2024 05:39

I really dislike the concept of painted rocks being hidden in natural areas. I don't mind in urban areas though.
I think your SM is fine. She is enjoying them. The OPs outrage is a bit OTT

marshmallowfinder · 09/04/2024 05:42

Domino20 · 09/04/2024 00:12

Here's what the group says..... (attached)

Annoyingly, it should say, "If you're lucky enough..."

Blondeshavemorefun · 09/04/2024 05:55

7 posts a year. Not a well known Group then 😂

We have done both - taken or hide

But we have also did our own to replace if taken /took - grammar police 😂

There is a more common group. Can't R.E.M. what but we found a few during lockdown 4yrs ago and my dd then 3 loved finding and hiding and then took a pic of stone and put it on the Facebook group so the painter knew it had been found

Justleaveitblankthen · 09/04/2024 06:00

I didn't know about this rule.
See them all the time out in the countryside. I admire them, but don't touch them.
Look forward to hiding one next time though 🤗

Love51 · 09/04/2024 06:34

HelloMiss · 09/04/2024 00:28

Me either!

All seems childish

Show quote history

It is a game, mostly played by children round our way. It started just before lock down, iirc, that February half term was when it got big. You paint a rock, hide it, and if someone finds it they might take a photo and post it to the "x town rocks" Facebook page, and then rehide. It was a bit of a craze for a while but I've not seen any in the wild for ages. It did speed along the school run for a while as there was a guarantee you'd find a rock or two en route . Some adults who played would write the Facebook page or instructions on the underside of the rock (most kids couldn't write that neatly!)

Prompted by this thread I did just look at the town rocks page and someone has shared a lost that people has decorated a memorial bench at a country park with some painted rocks and someone had taken them. So those people were upset their rocks had been moved from a public place (although the fact there were a group of about 8 rocks suggests it wasn't part of the game, as in the game rocks are hidden, and lonely!)

GRex · 09/04/2024 07:06

If people choose to litter their painted rocks, that's slightly less offensive than graffitti on walls. I wouldn't get upset that somebody moved it though, because it is only litter.

WorriedMillie · 09/04/2024 07:08

Our local group invites people to “keep or hide”
Maybe encourage her to paint some of her own for people to find? We love finding/hiding them

Dewdilly · 09/04/2024 07:11

I have never once seen a painted stone.
If I did, I’d likely be aghast that someone was vandalising a piece of nature.

Ioverslept · 09/04/2024 07:14

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 09/04/2024 00:28

Facebook Devon rocks and stones:
About
This group has been set up for the people of Devon to have great fun with or without the kids, fun activity, decorating, hiding and hunting rocks, to let you bring out your artistic side as well as getting out in the fresh air, so go ahead decorate some rocks or stones with what ever design you want, also write on the back (post a picture on devon rocks and stones) then hide them somewhere for people to find, also post a picture of the rocks your hiding and the area you are hiding them, so people know where to look i.e. Paignton, feel free to add as many people as you like, the more people that join in the more fun it will be, also if you find some rocks post a picture on here so we can see who's rocks have been found, happy decorating ,happy hiding and happy hunting
make sure you don't take any pebbles off a beach that don't allow it, I don't want anyone to get into trouble.
personally I want people to take one of my rocks, if you don't want people to take them or you want them to be re hidden please write it on the back of the stone, I just think it's nice for people to keep one and leave or hide the rest or maybe you could take some that you have decorated out with you and replace them with yours, it’s nice to keep them rotating so people are not always finding the same ones thank you 😊
it’s best not to hide your rocks in the living coast and occombe farm, they have asked us not to, we have to respect their decision, there is still lots of places to hide them, please don’t leave rocks on any grass areas think about the danger to mowing equipment and those who operate it 😊
You can use anything to decorate them but most people recommend acrylic paint from hobby craft and yacht varnish from Poundland, sharpies are good and others have used clear nail varnish to, posca pens are highly recommended, if you think you can not draw or paint why not try decoupage its very effective.
If anyone wants to know where to get pebbles from, the range, B&Q, Trago, fermoys and otters nursery are recommended
We love seeing all the pictures but advise parents not to post pictures of the children in their school uniforms x
We also have a dog,cat and horse members albums so if your pet helps you find the rocks, take a picture of them with the rock and either post it in the dog album or post on the page with their name and I will put it in the album x

Well that's a lot of written rules

KoolKookaburra · 09/04/2024 07:16

I'm actually quite upset by some of these pictures. It's awful. Just leave the rocks alone.

Linedbook · 09/04/2024 07:17

I think you've misunderstood the rules OP.

BreatheAndFocus · 09/04/2024 07:21

Hopefully someone will find them on her doorstep and re-hide them 😄 My DC play this game and are always excited to find and re-hide a stone. It’s daft to keep them - that’s not what they’re for!

Some of the stones we’ve found have had a little sticker on the back explaining that the finder should re-hide. Perhaps you could go on the FB group and tell everyone in your area to do that so your sister doesn’t keep them!

QueSyrahSyrah · 09/04/2024 07:22

I had absolutely no idea this was a thing besides kids painting rainbows on rocks through lockdown. You live and learn.

I hope the rocks aren't being taken from beaches. We live on the coast and it grinds my gears seeing people popping up with Facebook 'businesses' trying to profit from natural elements they've taken from the beach.

Tel12 · 09/04/2024 07:23

Once they're in the public domain they don't belong to anyone. You can do with them as you will.

Heronwatcher · 09/04/2024 07:25

Yeah it’s not widely known. By all means mention it to her but don’t get huffy about it. Or get your kids to do some to replace hers?

I also agree with @ShortLivedComment , I don’t have an issue with this at all in urban areas but really dislike this in rural/ wild areas- the last thing I want to see in a beautiful forest is a stone with pictures/ messages on- it’s just another example of humans leaving their mark everywhere. Plus I think actual stones are beautiful enough the way nature created them.

Tontostitis · 09/04/2024 07:30

YABU she's doing exactly what the painters intend and enjoying the stones. It's absolutely her choice to keep or not and you probably owe her an apology. It would be lovely if she posted on FB about her finds the artists do appreciate it but its art for arts sake tbh.

twentysevendresses · 09/04/2024 07:32

FFS OP!! Who made you the Rock Police? 🤦‍♀️🤣🤦‍♀️

Londonrach1 · 09/04/2024 07:33

You can either keep or rehid them. Dd and I did them during lockdown and hidden them. We also found some, some I refuse, some I like I've kept and like your sm got a collection around my front door. It gives me, dd and her friends and the postman pleasure every day to see them. I know as the postman has talked about them.

AE9766 · 09/04/2024 07:33

forestblade · 09/04/2024 00:24

I'm quite surprised how many of you are unaware this is a thing.

My kids were really excited whenever they found one and loved hiding it again for others to find, like paying it forward.

Maybe there are lots of unwritten rules as I didn't know about the "keep or rehide" one.

And here's me thinking my SM was living up to the wicked stereotype.

Perhaps because I live in a place where there are actual things to do, and not a place where picking up rocks passes for entertainment.

Stainglasses · 09/04/2024 07:33

I’m not on Facebook and I have never heard of this! It’s not a universally known “thing”.

weareallcats · 09/04/2024 07:33

I have one that I found in New Zealand - someone has painted a beautiful fern on it. It didn't occur to me that I should hide it again - whoops (but also quite pleased I didn't know, as I love it).