Children hunt for painted rocks at the Children's Garden Thanksgiving event

The Children's Garden and Art Center teamed up with the Sarasota Rocks project Sunday afternoon for an inspired Thanksgiving event — local and visiting families searched all throughout the Children's Garden for hundreds of painted rocks. 

The Thanksgiving Rock Hunt had around 400 rocks provided by Sarasota Rocks, a global kindness group project that paints rocks and hides them in Sarasota and elsewhere in the hopes of spreading good feelings and memories.

Founder Julie Farnsworth and a homeschool group painted the rocks over three weeks to be ready for the big day. 

"Rocks have been coming and going," Farnsworth said. "I sent out an email saying I needed help because I realized I only had 100 rocks."

Children hunted for the many rocks and went home with around 10 each.