Glenside to receive ‘kindness rocks’ courtesy of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church’s youth music camp

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Abington , Cheltenham , Elkins Park , Fort Washington , Glenside | Kids , Local News

August 27th, 2026 | By Ryan Genova

Residents of Glenside can soon look forward to a small fleet of “kindness rocks” created by participants of a music camp at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

20 campers in kindergarten through sixth grade finished painting the rocks today.

Camp counselor Ruby Moyer, an Elkins Park native, 2023 graduate of Germantown Academy, and a senior at Mount Holyoke College, said she drew from her experiences in middle school to conceptualize the service project.

“I learned about kindness rocks through a club at my school, and my friends and I spent three months making new ones every day at lunch and snack time. I had a lot of fun and got to put them out around our campus,” she said. “We got some really nice feedback, so I thought this would be a great way to spread joy throughout Glenside.”

Moyer provided campers with kindness themes to jumpstart the creative process:

Campers will gift one of their creations to family or friends, and the rest will be distributed Keswick Village, the Glenside train station, around the church’s property, and other grassy areas in town, Moyer said.

The camp, which began Monday, teaches singing, ringing, drumming, drama, and dancing, and culminates in a live performance titled “Moses and the Freedom Fanatics” on Friday at 2:30pm at St. Paul’s.

“They kids are having lots of fun putting on the show. They’re learning to sing, play drums, hand bells, and enjoy music,” Moyer said.

Ruby Moyer with finished kindness rocks

Rae Ann Anderson, St. Paul’s Director of Music since 2006, said this is the sixth year the church has hosted the camp.

“Our goal was to recreate community during the pandemic. That’s how this week started,” she said. “Six years later, we’re still going. A lot of the kids are coming from nearby congregations, so it’s extended beyond the walls of St. Paul’s.”

“It’s been a wonderful crop of kids. They’ve played with old friends and made new friends. And they’re actually singing!” she said.

If you’re looking for youthful entertainment, pop by 120 N Easton Road at 2:30pm on Friday. You’re sure to see dancing frogs, and you might even find a kindness rock.

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