If you look carefully these days, you may notice something different about the city of Nampa: brightly painted rocks! They're turning up everywhere – in all shapes and sizes, in some places that you’d expect, and many others that you wouldn’t.
It’s all thanks to a group called Nampa Rocks, founded by Washington-native-turned-Nampa-dweller, Angel O'Brien. She’s from Whidbey Island, WA, and her hometown had a rocks group.
Angel says the way Nampa Rocks works isn't complicated. “You just find any type of rock that you want, take them home and paint them, write Nampa Rocks on the back, and hide 'em." Then you can post clues to the stone's whereabouts on Facebook, and go hunting for rocks that others have tucked away.
It's in essence a large-scale, community-wide game of hide and seek. "Once you find them,” Angel explains, “you can keep them, if you love them that much, or you can re-hide them, it really is up to you, that's the fun of it."
The reason for the group isn't complicated either, but as the mom of a young daughter, it's something Angel feels is much needed. "There's so much going on in our world right now that is not great,” Angel says, “and this is just….good. This is just pure fun, pure good, where people can just enjoy finding and making rocks."
And this scavenger hunt does appeal to everyone, from kids to kids at heart, and even better, it's good clean fun that doesn't cost a dime.”Whether you're doing it with family, whether you're doing it with friends, or even doing it by yourself, it's just kind of a fun activity to do,” says Angel.
Also, some local businesses have even gotten in on the fun, decorating rocks that will get you a discount or a freebie if you bring the stone back into their place of business.
If you’d like to find out more about the Nampa Rocks group – or connect with Angel to find out how to start one where you live – you can find them on Facebook here.
