If you’ve ever opened an egg carton only to find it full of rocks, congratulations—you’re officially living with a toddler boy.
There are rocks in my shoes. Rocks in his pockets. Rocks in the bottom of the stroller. A curated rock pile in a tray like it’s toddler MoMA. And I recently discovered he’d lovingly stored a rock in our butter dish. Yep. Just chillin’ in there like it belonged.
But here’s the thing: as much as it drives me a little bonkers (and fills every load of laundry with potential projectiles), I’ve come to realize that this isn’t just a weird phase. It’s actually a very normal and developmentally rich part of toddlerhood.
Let’s talk about it.
Toddlers Collect (and Hide) Things Because Their Brains Are Booming
According to child development experts, toddlers are in a critical phase of brain development called the sensorimotor stage, a term coined by Jean Piaget. This is where they learn about the world through their senses and actions—and boy, are rocks perfect for that.
Each rock is a new texture. A new weight. A mystery. A treasure.
Toddlers also thrive on routine and control (even when it doesn’t look like it). Collecting objects—like rocks, sticks, or even scraps of paper—gives them a sense of ownership and stability in a world they can’t always predict. According to Dr. Laura Markham, a child psychologist and founder of Aha! Parenting, “Collecting is a form of mastery. It gives children a sense of agency.”
So when your toddler fills their pockets with sidewalk gravel? That’s their version of feeling in charge.
Hiding Things? That’s Just Advanced Toddlering
Now let’s talk about the hiding part.
Rocks in my egg carton? In my shoes? In the stroller?
While it might look like chaos (and it is, let’s be real), toddlers aren’t just randomly stashing things like tiny pirates. According to research in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, hiding is part of object permanence development—understanding that things exist even when you can’t see them. So when they “hide” something, they’re testing the limits of memory, control, and location tracking.
In their mind, that egg carton full of rocks? That’s a masterpiece. A secret place only they know about. They’re building a world—one pebble at a time.
But Also? It’s Just Really Funny
I mean, come on. I once pulled a chunk of concrete out of my purse at Target. My son looked at me with complete sincerity and said, “That’s for later.”
Later what? Later construction? Later snack?
Toddler boys are walking contradictions. They’re soft-hearted and wild. They’ll kiss you with peanut butter on their cheeks and then throw a dump truck at your shin. But when they fill the stroller basket with rocks, what they’re really doing is offering up a little piece of their curiosity. Their delight. Their magic.
What To Do With All These Rocks (Besides Start a Gravel Business)
- Create a toddler treasure box. Give them a shoebox or container where they can proudly display their collections. It gives the chaos boundaries while respecting their little discoveries.
- Use it as a learning moment. Sort the rocks by color, size, or texture. Count them. Wash them. Make art with them!
- Write down their “reasons.” Ask them what the rocks are for. Document it. These quotes are gold later on.
Final Thoughts: The Rocks Are the Reminder
Living with a toddler boy is like living with a mini professor of chaos. They hoard, they hide, they wonder, they test everything. But hidden in the madness of rocks and random treasures is a beautiful truth:
They’re trying to understand the world.
So the next time you find a pebble in your shoe, try not to sigh too hard. That little rock might be your toddler’s way of saying, “I thought of you.”
Even if it did end up in the butter dish.
