How to Make Sidewalk Chalk and Paint
Summertime is upon us and that means that you’ll be seeing sidewalk art adorning sidewalks all over town. The nice thing is that no matter how many gizmos and gadgets the kids have it seems like sidewalk chalk art is always a hit that spans age groups. There is nothing better than seeing kids of all ages getting creative and making art! Don’t worry if you don’t have any chalk hanging around, today we are sharing our favorite sidewalk chalk, sidewalk paint and puffy sidewalk paint recipes. All of them using simple ingredients you already have, and cost only pennies!
Homemade Chalk and Chalk Paint for Summertime Fun!
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Whether you are a parent looking for a fun activity this summer, a camp counsellor planning camp days, or a teacher looking for budget friendly outdoor art lessons, these recipes are perfect for you!
As I mentioned, they are perfect for everyone from preschoolers to teens. And your older kids can even make their own sidewalk chalks and paints.
I have a few chalk concoctions that are sure to please you and the kids, and you can make them all with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. So let’s make some sidewalk paint, sidewalk chalk and puffy sidewalk paint for pennies!
Pro Tip Before You Start
Mixing up these amazing concoctions is so easy even the kids can do it! A little word of warning – food coloring works beautifully but it can be harder to remove from clothes and sidewalks. It will wash off but sometimes it takes a bit of work. Washable tempera paints are non toxic and will clean up a little easier but can still stain clothes if spilled. I highly recommend having the kids were paint shirts, or clothing you don’t mind getting stained. That way everyone can relax and just enjoy creating art!
Sidewalk Chalk
First let’s make sidewalk chalk.
Supplies
Cornstarch
Water
Food Coloring or Non-Toxic Paint
Molds (Egg Cartons, Silicone Molds, Small Paper Cups)
Directions
For a traditional chalk recipe mix together equal parts of cornstarch and water directly into a plastic cup.
Once it’s completely mixed and smooth add the food coloring or paint to the cup and stir it well. You will want to make as many cups as you want colors. Once you have your colors mixed, pour the mixture into your mold of choice.
I like egg cartons because I love a good recycling project! If you don’t have an egg carton, silicone molds or paper cups will work just as well.
Pro Tip! You will want to prepare the chalk a day or two before you plan on using it. It is important to let the chalk dry completely before you use it. Normally it will just take overnight to dry out but depending on your climate it could take a day or two.
Once it’s completely dry you can pop it out of the molds and start drawing!
Sidewalk Paint
Now let’s make some sidewalk paint. This is a fun twist that some kids prefer to the chalk.
Supplies
Cornstarch
Water
Food Coloring or Non-Toxic Paint
Disposable Cups
Brushes or Sponges
Directions
Mix together equal parts of cornstarch and water directly into a plastic cup.
Once it’s completely mixed and smooth you can add some food coloring or paint to the cup and stir it well (there is no set amount on the colors – I recommend starting with a small amount and then adjust until you get the color you want). Make as many cups as you want colors.
If it gets a little thick you can thin it out with warm water.
From there all you need to do is dip your brushes in and start creating!
Puffy Sidewalk Paint
Finally, let’s have some fun making 3D art by making puffy sidewalk paint. You might remember we made puffy paint for an indoor snow day project, now we have a summer version!
Supplies
Flour
Water
Dish Soap
Food Coloring or Non-Toxic Paint
Squirt Bottles (like the ketchup and mustard bottles)
Directions
For this fun project with a great wow moment!
Grab a mixing bowl and stir together 1 cup each of flour and water with a whisk until it’s nice and smooth and there are no lumps.
Add a teaspoon of dish soap and stir that in well.
Then add your coloring and mix that in.
Once your paint is ready, pour it into a squirt bottle and squeeze it onto the sidewalk. The soap will make the paint puff up on the sidewalk. It’s really cute and the kids love it.
Pro Tip! You will want to use the puffy sidewalk paint the day you make it. It won’t last more than a few hours, so only make what you need!
Sidewalk Chalk Activity Ideas
Now that you’re all set with your concoctions – what are some fun sidewalk chalk ideas?
Well of course there is sidewalk chalk art – have the kids draw away to their heart’s content. Welcome messages, rainbows, cars and planes – have fun!
What can you do beyond the regular drawings? How about old school games like tic-tac-toe, hopscotch or four square. Or play on the idea of shadow puppets and trace shadows?
Or build out an adventure trail for the kids. Draw different lines with different directions like follow the squiggly line or hop over the lines or follow the spiral.
Or get your young scientists experimenting, and see what happens if you use Thermochromatic Pigments to color your sidewalk chalk or paint? We have used this to make magic playdough and magic oobleck. This might be fun on a day when you can monitor your art throughout the day to see it change colors!
Sidewalk chalk is one of those things that is only limited by your imagination! Have a blast!
Sidewalk Chalk Art Clean Up
When you’re all done – if you need to clean up (I always love to just let them fade away – I love to see the artistry last!) But alas, if you need to clean up these recipes will clean up with regular dish soap and warm water. Like I said before, the food coloring is a little harder to clean up but will fade from the sidewalk over time.
Enjoy letting your inner artists shine this summer with these sidewalk chalk ideas!