New nature-play community WA ROCKS has grown to nearly 3000 members in one month, surprising its founder, a Byford mother who just aimed to encourage her children to play outside.
The massive game of hide-and-seek using hand-painted rocks spread throughout the southern suburbs, then the Peel region, throughout Perth and into WA country towns.
Alana Stevenson said she had started the page inspired by a similar movement in New Zealand.
"In Byford, kids are always stuck for something to do and parents are always complaining about there being little to do, community wise," she said.
"Like me they have a problem with their kids wanting technology all the time; anything I could do to get mine away from their screens is something I am interested in."
Four weeks ago, she started off with her sons, aged three and 10, painting rocks, hiding them locally and posting pictures of the rocks along with the name of the parks they were hidden in.
The idea was that other people would take their children to the park to find the rocks, let the online group know they had been found, then re-hide them somewhere else, the process beginning again.
"The kids love it so much," Ms Stevenson said.
"My little one's three and his art is very abstract, to put it nicely, but he has fun with it. We do the drops during the day of the ones he's painted and we are discovering new playgrounds so every time we stop he gets to play in a new place. He might do 10 in a day. It's a three-year-old's dream job.
"My 10-year-old, on the other hand, has surprised me with the detail of his painting and when one we have hidden resurfaces on the page with a photo of the child who found it, he loves that side of it."
The page now features photographs of the rock artwork from people from the Mandurah and Rockingham areas to throughout the south-eastern suburbs.
Numerous suburbs in the hills areas further north are also taking part, as are residents in Scarborough, Fremantle, Clarkson, Karawara, Lathlain, Bertram and Belmont.
The movement has now spread through Pinjarra, Busselton, Collie, Albany, Cervantes and Kalgoorlie.
People are painting everything from Octonauts to superheroes to Star Wars, as well as animals, cultural symbols and encouraging messages, and putting 'WA Rocks' and a Facebook symbol on the back to get others to visit the page.
They post maps and directions for other parents, make requests according to their childrens' interests, share the best materials to use and post ideas on where to take the children for after-school hunts.
"I am getting a lot of private messages saying thank you, particularly because it is inexpensive," Ms Stevenson said.
"You just need a handful of rocks, some paint or markers and some sealer.
"Here we are buying kids hundred-dollar presents, and they are getting so much joy from a painted rock in the middle of a park. Maybe we have it wrong and it really is the simple things."
"It's fantastic to see this community-led activity being undertaken by children and families," said Colin Pettit, Commissioner for Children and Young People.
"As well as children getting outside and exploring parks and their community, WA Rocks is also creative and a positive experience for parents and children to share. I congratulate everyone involved."
Ms Stevenson has been in contact with representatives of a local retirement village and children's special needs class hoping to get involved.
For those seeking a smaller group, there is a north of the river group, a south of the river group and an Ellenbrook group.
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