This list of 19 things to do with sidewalk chalk (besides just draw pictures) is such a great resource for summer! Great, creative ideas and plenty of activities to keep parents and kids of all ages busy outside!
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Growing up, I loved playing with chalk. Chalk can be fun for for everybody (why else would people have chalk art festivals?), whether you’re two or thirty-five.
And in case you’re not on board with sidewalk chalk, let me point out that chalk is incredibly easy to wash off hands, clothes, and driveways (so don’t let that prevent you from letting your kids play with chalk).
The best part about sidewalk chalk is that there are so many fun things to do with sidewalk chalk, and it’s a great way to encourage kids to play outside! Sure, you can draw pictures on the driveway or sidewalk, but there are so many other things you can do besides just draw pictures!
I’ve put together a list of 19 fun and creative things to do with sidewalk chalk (plus 1 bonus idea when you’re down to broken bits and pieces) to last you and your kiddos all summer long!
But before I get into that, I want to let you in on a little secret: the kind of chalk you buy makes a big difference.
Yes, you could buy the cheap sidewalk chalk from the dollar store or wherever, but the thick, bright Crayola chalk that comes in a wide variety of colors is BY FAR the best sidewalk chalk out there. You can get it pretty much anywhere (even on the Crayola website), in 12 count boxes, 24 count boxes, 36 count boxes, 48 count boxes, and even giant 64-count boxes. Yes, it’s a little more expensive, but it’s absolutely worth the price.
Things to Do With Sidewalk Chalk
Outline and Color Yourself In
This was something I LOVED doing as a child. My mom would outline us and we would draw our faces, hair, and clothes. I showed my kids how to do this last week and they thought it was the coolest thing ever!
Create a Scene to Take a Picture On
I love seeing these on Instagram. I’m not a great artist, but I know my kids would think it’s fun to see themselves in a scene as simple as swimming in the ocean or flying through space!
Hopscotch
A classic! You can write numbers in each box, play the original version by throwing a rock and hopping to the spot, or even write your child’s name in the boxes to help them learn the letters! When I was little, my sister and I just loved making super long designs to jump on. There are lots of potential chalk ideas with hopscotch!
Four Square
Another classic game from the elementary school playground. Obviously this might be a challenge with younger kids, but older kids will have a blast learning how to play!
Twister
Draw a Twister board on the ground and make your own spinner. You can even choose your own colors! This post from Delineate Your Dwelling has great tips on how to make your own Twister spinner.
Giant Board Game
How fun would it be to make your own life-size chalk board game? Or do a giant version of a classic that you have at home (so you could use the cards from the actual game). Maybe try creating Monopoly or Life, Candyland or Chutes and Ladders!
Play Pictionary
An easy thing to do with sidewalk chalk is play Pictionary! Just write down or print off a bunch of words, have your kids (or family) split into two teams, and get drawing!
Water Plants
Draw some flowers or plants and then have your kids “water” them. Give them little watering cans or spray bottles and have them water away your plants! Amazon has cheap ones, or you can try dollar stores, too!
Make a Zoo
Draw enclosures or little food stands on the ground and let your kids put toy animals inside! Or of course they can draw animals inside, too! Add pools and trees and visit your very own zoo!
Draw a Race Track for Bikes
Make a starting line, draw a track around your neighborhood or the park, and race! Bikes, scooters, ride-on toys, or even on foot! What kid doesn’t love racing!
Draw a City to Drive Cars Around
My kids love their little car rug we have, and this idea just plays on that! Draw a big city with a school, police station, supermarket, hospital, and street signs on your driveway. Kids can drive toy cars or remote control cars all over it!
Play a Follow the Line Game
Depending on how old your child is, you can do a straight line, a waved line, or even a twisty, intertwined line! Tell them they have to stay on the line and follow it from the beginning to end. If they step off, they have to start from the beginning again!
Long Jump
See how far you and your kiddos can jump by drawing a line for the starting point and marking how far you can jump past it.
Wet Your Driveway and Draw
Was I the only one who loved doing this as a child? When your driveway is wet, the colors are so much more vibrant!
Create a Mosaic with Painters’ Tape
Someone in our neighborhood did this and I thought it was awesome! Tape down a big square (or circle, or whatever shape you want) and then make a pattern or just random shapes with your painters’ tape. Color in each spot and then remove the tape for a beautiful mosaic! If you can’t quite picture it, check out this post with more details on how to make a sidewalk chalk mosaic.
Write Positive Messages
Write them on the sidewalk, on your friends’ driveways, on park trails, anywhere you can think of! At our old house there was a trail that backed up to a neighborhood and one of the houses always left out a bucket of chalk for people to write things on the sidewalk. I always loved reading the kind, uplifting messages!
Create a Shape Maze
I can’t take credit for this idea, but I think it’s so fun! Draw a driveway shape maze and challenge your kids to step on only one shape to get to the other side. I love that you can do simple shapes or complex shapes, so it can be adapted for any age!
Outline Shadows and Turn Them into Pictures
This requires two people, but one of you stands on the driveway or sidewalk and makes a funny pose and the other person outlines the pose on the ground. Then you have to turn that pose into a person doing something creative! They might be surfing, lifting a huge weight, or walking a dog. There are so many things you can draw!
Draw Life-Size Animals
This would probably require a little research and the use of the road, but how fun would it be to draw a life-size blue whale, elephant, or t-rex!? I know my kids would sure get a kick out of it!
There are so many fun things to do with sidewalk chalk beyond just dumping it on the driveway and letting your kids draw pictures.
And the fun doesn’t stop once you’ve used up your chalk! When you’re left with just bits and pieces, you can crush them up, mix the powder with water, and use it as sidewalk paint!
If you want more fun outdoor activities, check out this post of backyard activities for toddlers or my free printable nature scavenger hunt!
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