Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk

What You Need

Pieces of colored sidewalk chalk (available at craft stores or create your own chalk from the recipe below). Make sure that you have at least one piece of chalk for each child participating!

Sidewalk Chalk Recipe

What You Need

How To Make It

Wash and dry empty Juicy Juice juice boxes. Use one box for each chalk block.
Cut off one of the back panels with a pair of safety scissors.
Mix one cup of Plaster of Paris to one cup of water. This will be sufficient for two blocks of chalk.
To make colored chalk, be sure to add the powdered tempra paint to the plaster of Paris before adding the water at mixing time. Experiment with the amounts of paint to make the chalk lighter or brighter in color (4 tablespoons of paint should give you a mid-range color).
Pour mixture into two empty JUICY JUICE juice boxes, and let sit overnight to dry.
Once the chalk is dry, you can tear off the molds and the chalk will be ready to use.

How To Play

Find a safe, flat section of a paved surface, such as a patio, driveway or sidewalk.
Set out a container filled with large pieces of colored sidewalk chalk; make sure everyone has their own piece of chalk.
As older siblings and friends begin to create their own sidewalk art, help your toddler pick out a piece of colored chalk.
To begin with, just moving the chalk over a bumpy surface will be a new, fun experience for him.
Soon, your toddler will be interested in “helping” brother or sister draw.
You can facilitate this by helping everyone make outlines of each other on the sidewalk.
Older siblings can help little brother or sister create their sidewalk image by using the chalk to fill in the outline and asking questions such as:
- Where shall we put your nose?
- What color is your hair? Is it yellow? Can you find the yellow chalk?