The children of Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology Child Care Center recently rocked the Okmulgee campus with kindness and creativity.

The youngsters painted images and messages encouraging kindness on smooth, flat stones and placed them throughout the campus to inspire kindness within the OSUIT community. The Child Care Center led the children in this special effort as part of the Kindness Rocks Project.

“The Kindness Rock Project is beneficial in teaching children about empathy and also gives them a broader perspective of their community as they walk around campus to place the rocks,” said Kathi McGraw, manager of the Child Care Center.

Kindness Rocks was created by Megan Murphy, a certified professional coach. The purpose of the project is to “cultivate connections within communities and lift others up through simple acts of kindness,” according to the Kindness Rocks Project website.

This is the second year that the Child Care Center has initiated a Kindness Rocks Project; the first was in August 2024. The previous Kindness Rocks Project captured the children’s hearts and imagination and led to more creativity, McGraw said.

“There were so many children that wanted their rocks back the last time that it led to another classroom project for back-to-school in August 2025, called the Worry Stone. This enabled the children to hear a story about how a worry stone helped ease the anxiety of starting school, and the children painted their own worry stone to keep,” she said.

Around 25 children painted stones for Kindness Rocks this year. The children are encouraged to use their own ideas and creativity.

“There are much younger children in attendance than the last project, so the teachers and I will assist with some of the art and with uplifting words of kindness printed on the back of each rock. We will include the infants by adding teacher-led fingerprint art on the rocks,” McGraw said.

McGraw and Child Care Center teachers chaperoned the children as they placed rocks at outdoor locations across campus on the morning of Oct. 22.

Placing the rocks throughout campus was a great adventure for the children, McGraw said.

The children also enjoyed seeing photos of their rocks on the OSUIT Facebook page, along with happy reactions from OSUIT community members who found them.

“We discussed how the beautiful art they painted on the front of the rock, along with the kind words written on the back, can brighten the finder's day, and how it feels good to hear compliments from others,” McGraw said. “The children and staff at the childcare center are grateful for the participation from the campus community.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Kindness Rocks Project?

The Kindness Rocks Project encourages people to paint stones with uplifting artwork and messages to share within their communities. Created by Megan Murphy, the project aims to build connections through simple acts of kindness.

Who participated in the Kindness Rocks Project at OSUIT?

About 25 children at the Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology Child Care Center painted stones for the project. Child Care Center manager Kathi McGraw and teachers supported the children’s artwork and accompanied them as they placed rocks around campus.

Where did the children place the kindness rocks?

Children placed the painted rocks in outdoor locations throughout the OSUIT campus on Oct. 22. The stones featured artwork and encouraging words intended to brighten the day of anyone who found them.

How does painting and sharing kindness rocks benefit children?

According to Child Care Center manager Kathi McGraw, the project teaches empathy and helps children develop a broader understanding of their community. Children also use their creativity and learn how their artwork and kind words can positively affect others.

How did the OSUIT community respond to the kindness rocks?

OSUIT community members shared positive reactions to the rocks on the university’s Facebook page. Child Care Center staff showed the children photos and responses, prompting conversations about how sharing kindness feels and how their artwork can brighten someone’s day.