‘Technology has taken over and we have to get again to the fundamentals: the outside and creativeness,’ says mother of three boys who began venture on rail path
An area mother got here up with a singular and enjoyable thought for her three boys throughout the summer season holidays.
Ricky the Rock Snake, a group of vibrant, hand-painted rocks positioned on the sting of the rail path between North Street and Fittons Road in Orillia, is the brainchild Stephanie Black.
“At the end of the school year, I was trying to sort out what our summer looked like with camps and sports, and I wanted to add something that could be fun all summer long,” she defined.
Black got here up with the thought of Ricky the Rock Snake, the place children or adults may paint rocks and add them in an extended line alongside the aspect of the path, to make a snake of painted rocks.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, folks had been portray rocks with encouraging sayings alongside the path in random spots so I assumed the youngsters would get pleasure from one thing like that,” Black defined.
“And who would not like arts and crafts? To be 100 per cent sincere, children want particular and easy issues like this. Technology has taken over and we have to get again to the fundamentals: the outside and creativeness,” she mentioned.
Black was pleasantly shocked by how common Ricky has change into.
“We are thrilled by how many rocks have been added to Ricky, I believe there are over 200 now.”
Ryker, 10, corrected his mother.
“There are 244 rocks now, Mom!” he mentioned, with pleasure.
It has additionally been good to see that vandalism hasn’t actually been an issue.
“Well, a few rocks have gone missing — and they were beautifully painted ones — but yes, I’m very thankful people have left it for the kids to enjoy,” she mentioned.
Black and her three boys, Ryker, 10, Bishop, 7, and Hendrix, 5, checked in on Ricky each week all summer season lengthy.
“I painted 10 rocks,” mentioned Ryker.
“I painted 20!” affirmed Bishop.
Ricky can be enjoyable to run races alongside of, and to measure how far walnuts could be thrown, because the boys demonstrated.
“We started Ricky with only 10 rocks and now he has really grown,” mentioned Ryker.
Will Black dream up one other venture subsequent summer season?
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet,” she laughed. “But who knows? The boys sure got a kick out of it.”
