SIDEWALK CHALK
Out of ideas for how to occupy the kids? Give them some sidewalk chalk and set them loose on the sidewalk or driveway. You can also draw indoors with black or dark colored paper.
Free play is always a great option, but here are some ideas to spark creativity, imagination, and movement.
GAMES
Create your own outdoor games. Revive some classics, or invent your own to get kids moving!
- Hopscotch (go classic or creative)
- Twister (use 3 – 4 colors and create a grid of circles)
- Long jump (draw a starting line, and some measuring lines)
- Mazes (use your imagination)
- Bean bag toss (draw a target)
- Obstacle course (hop, jump, follow the line, spin, stomp, etc)
- Make up your own game!
WRITING
- Write your name and decorate it.
- Write a thank you message to community helpers.
- Write a greeting to a family member or neighbors.
- Poetry: Create your own or share a favorite.
- Scribble: A great pre-literacy skill builder.
DOODLE
- Zentangle: Draw a long curvy line creating lots of shapes that you can fill in with different patterns.
- Heart doodles: Draw lots of hearts and decorate inside the hearts with different patterns.
ART
- Abstract art: If you have some masking tape, you can use it to make straight lines, and create an abstract design.
- Flowers & Bugs: How many variations can you make on a theme? Make each one unique.
- Create a world: Make a scene you can lie down in and be photographed from above (for example, butterfly wings, clouds and rainbow).
- Play with materials: Dip your chalk in water or wet the sidewalk and see what happens.
CHALK PAINT
No chalk, no problem . . . making your own can be an activity in itself.
CHALK PAINT RECIPE
Supplies:
- Cornstarch
- Food coloring
- Containers (use old yogurt containers, a muffin tin, or whatever else you have around)
- Brushes
Mix equal parts water and cornstarch (try ½ cup each).
Divide into smaller containers or a muffin tin.
Add food coloring (make the color a little more intense than you’d like, as it will dry lighter).
Give kids a brush and paint, and let them play.
Drawing and painting with chalk is fun, and it also helps young children to develop the fine motor skills needed for writing. It’s playful and sparks creativity. It gets us outdoors, which is good for our health! Maybe you’ll get down on the ground and draw too. Send us photos!