Woman on mission to 'make people smile' after what sister found in park

Taya is making people smile by hiding hidden rocks
-Credit: (Image: Taya Bradley)


A woman has set out to “make people smile” by painting rocks and hiding them around Wallasey. Taya Bradley, 28, from Wallasey, started painting rocks and hiding them to cheer people up, who are having a “rough time.”

Taya was inspired by memories of her sister, now 17, who used to find painted rocks in the park next to their childhood home. She remembered how much her sister used to “love” finding them and how it made “everyone was so happy,” so she wanted to share that joy with others.

She told the ECHO: “When my little sister was younger, she’s 17 now, we used to see them [painted rocks] every day in the park and she used to love it, it used to make her so happy finding them.

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“And then during lockdown they became a thing again and I just feel like it’s nice to see. You don’t see people doing them anymore and I just wanted to start doing them to make people smile, it’s something nice to do for others and also it’s good for me to do.

“I paint characters and just anything that I think I can draw on them. I paint them and seal them and hide them around Central Park in Wallasey. I have to go collect them from the beach and carry them all the way home.”

Taya says painting the rocks has also helped her mental health, by making others smile. She said: “It keeps me busy, it's good for my mental health. I struggle with my mental health sometimes so it’s nice to keep me busy and I like making people smile and bringing them a little bit of joy.

Some of the rocks that Taya has been hiding
Some of the rocks that Taya has been hiding -Credit:Taya Bradley

“Life isn’t very joyous at the moment so it's a nice way of making people happy. Everyone is going through a rough time. I do it for the children and adults, I'm a big kid at heart.

“I have people messaging me all the time to say they have found them or they have done their own and hid them, it's really nice to hear and it’s nice that it’s making people happy. I have done loads of Disney characters, faces, and just anything that I think the kids would love.”

Have you found any of Taya's rocks? Let us know in the comments or send us a picture at megan.banner@reachplc.com!