Sidewalk chalk is having, shall we say, a moment. With families stuck at home and kids looking for things to do, it’s a great creative outlet for kids and grown-ups, too! Plus, there are a ton of educational sidewalk chalk activities. Check out some of our favorites below!
Psst … trying to find sidewalk chalk? It’s sold out almost everywhere! We recommend the Crayola brand, and we’ve had the best luck finding it at Target.
1. Create a movement path
This is hopscotch taken to the next level. Kids can practice their gross movement skills using a chalk-drawn movement path. You can also work those creativity muscles by getting them involved in the creation of the path. Even better? Watching friends and neighbors use the path, too.
Source: @traininginc.services
2. Tell a story
Think of the sections in your sidewalk as panels in a comic book, and get to work! Invite kids to tell a story frame by frame, as shown in the example above.
Source: @debbychapman
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3. Poll your neighbors
One smart family in my neighborhood has been setting up a new sidewalk chalk poll every day. The question above was “What’s your favorite fruit?” Passers-by vote with chips the family sanitizes each night. Math in action!
4. Practice the alphabet
Sidewalk chalk and learning the alphabet go hand in hand. In the example above, the parent had her child pour water over each letter as she said it out loud. You could also do an alphabet scavenger hunt and have kids place items beginning with each letter on top of the chalk version.
Source: @schoolbasedot
5. Play a giant game of Chutes and Ladders
How fun is this? And what other classic board games could you recreate in chalk? Check out this list of ideas.
Source: Official Registered Early Childhood Educators Group
6. Make a sidewalk chalk calculator
Kids can hop from square to square to practice solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems.
Source: Toys in the Dryer
7. Or try a giant hundreds chart
There are so many fun ways to use a hundreds chart, and a giant chalk version is even more fun. Check out this list for inspiration.
Source: Teach Beside Me
8. Share a joke
Jokes help kids to practice non-literal thinking and figurative language. Plus, they’re fun and will keep your neighbors laughing.
Source: @hanouna1951
9. Talk about shapes
Lots of possibilities here! Have kids practice drawing their own shapes, match shapes from nature with the sidewalk shapes, and more!
Source: @sweetlittleones
10. Play with shadows
Invite kids to trace their shadows at different times of the day. Talk about why the shadows look different depending on the sun’s position.
Source: Rhythms of Play
11. Write sight words
Sight words require a lot of repetition, so have kids practice writing sight words with chalk. They can trace over the letters again and again. See more of our favorite sight word activities here.
Source: @momeefriendsli
12. Make a map
Try drawing a map of your block, neighborhood, or school. You can extend the learning by talking about the cardinal directions (north, east, south, and west).
Source: Teach Beside Me
13. Find your way through a maze
Little ones can go through a parent-designed maze; big kids can make their own!
Source: Hands On As We Grow
14. Design your own mini golf
A STEM challenge and an afternoon outdoors? We’ll take it!
Source: A Girl and a Glue Gun
We’d love to hear! What are your favorite sidewalk chalk activities for kids? Please share below in the comments!
Plus, the best educational outdoor toys.
