Sidewalk Chalk Activities for Kids

Treasure Hunt

• Create an outdoor treasure hunt with clues in chalk. Write clues on trees, steps and paths to lead the children to the treasure. Alternatively, split the children into teams and draw a chalk grid for each team. Each space on the grid refers to an item the teams need to find. For example, a pine cone, a pebble and a leaf may be items they must search for. Children hunt for the items and place them in the corresponding section of the grid. The winning team is the first team to find all the items and fill up their grid. For dinosaur enthusiasts, create a dinosaur-themed treasure hunt. Draw large dinosaur foot prints in chalk for the children to "track" to find the treasure.

Games

• Play a game of "Tic Tac...Oh No!" Each player decorates five stones. One of the stones should be decorated in a different style to be easily identifiable as the "change stone." Draw a tic tac toe grid with chalk, and draw a line the players have to stand behind. Players take turns throwing stones onto the grid. To claim a space, the stone must land fully within an unoccupied square. If the stone touches the lines of the grid or lands in a square that is already occupied, the player must remove it. The change stone can only be used once in a game. If it lands on an opponent's square, that square is now taken over and the opponent's stone is removed. The winner is the first player to get three stones in a row. Hangman is another game that can be played using sidewalk chalk.

Lesson Plans

• Use sidewalk chalk to reinforce musical notation in an outdoor lesson. Provide children with a piece of chalk and challenge them to draw musical notes as you call them out.

  Have students create illustrated sidewalk poetry by choosing a poem from their portfolio, writing it on the sidewalk with the chalk and then drawing a related picture around the outside of the poem.

  Instruct students to practice their spelling lists by using colored sidewalk chalk to copy out the words in the schoolyard.

Preschool Fun

• Kids of all ages can enjoy sidewalk chalk. Older children will have fun drawing a road map for younger children to drive toy cars on. The road map should include winding, twisty paths and include trees, stores and people. Enlist preschoolers to help with adding the detail. Have children stand in the sun while an adult or older sibling draws an outline on the ground around the child's shadow. Encourage children to be imaginative when coloring the outline. Children can draw themselves as a princess, astronaut, cowboy or any other fantasy creation.

Make Your Own!

• Making sidewalk chalk is a fun craft activity for children to do before using the homemade chalk to play. Add washable tempera paint to one cup of plaster of paris. Mix with water until the mixture is thick. Pour into a paper cup and leave to set. Once dry, tear away the cup to reveal the chalk.