Encouraging Creative Play with Sidewalk Chalk Games and Ideas for Kids

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Remember playing sidewalk chalk games as a kid? Hours and hours of fun creating chalk art and the best part? There are so many easy chalk drawings and sidewalk chalk ideas that you can enjoy!

All that you need is a piece of chalk! Of course, more chalk is better and it’s so affordable to purchase a diverse range of colors to create colorful murals and large handwritten messages to decorate the sidewalk or driveway with.

The thing that I love most about sidewalk chalk is that it is a fun activity for all ages. Both young children and adults burst out in creative expression when you arm them with a stick of chalk. Give sidewalk chalk to an adult and they instantly become a kid again. Imaginative play and endless creative ways to draw and play games using chalk drawings.

Encouraging Creative Play with Sidewalk Chalk Games and Ideas for Kids

My kids have spend hours and hours in the driveway over the years playing doing fun sidewalk chalk activities. It’s such a fun and affordable way to entertain kids, and encourage them to use their imagination. Plus, what a great way to get them away from screens for a bit and enjoy the great outdoors!. 

I’m always looking for affordable and fun stuff to do with the kids, so I thought I’d share some of our favorite sidewalk chalk activities! 

You can easily grab colored chalk just about anywhere: Michaels Stores, Walmart or even the Dollar Store. And there are even quite a few chalk options: Homemade Chalk, Crayola Sidewalk Chalk, Glitter chalk – your options are as wide open as your budget!

Sidewalk Chalk Ideas

Of course, there are so many different traditional chalk games for kids to play and create, but today we are sharing a few of our other favorite sidewalk chalk ideas in the hopes that it helps to stimulate your creative juices!

Create a Bike or Scooter Race Track with Chalk

Have kids draw out a race or obstacle course with chalk. (you might want to invest in a chalk stick which will allow kids to draw while standing up – adults might appreciate this too!)

Don’t forget to include pit stops and even gas stations. Little artists will have so much fun using a variety of colors to make a raceway on driveway surfaces. Use different colors of chalk to create a wonderful racetrack course.

Get out a timer and have kids race through the course trying to beat their best times!

Easy Chalk Drawings

No need to complicate things, just grab some chalk and head out to decorate the drive way! Let the kids get creative or challenge them to draw their favorite things. There are so many easy chalk drawing ideas: rainbow, cloud, flower or balloons! Uou could even challenge them to write the alphabet or their name. 

Chalk Hopscotch

Make a hopscotch board with chalk and you have a fun and affordable game to entertain the kids and bring back the hopscotch game of your youth! 

A classic hopscotch board with chalk is always a hit, but the excitement might wear off quickly after a few games. Level up your Hopscotch coolness with a Snail Hopscotch Board (seen below) or even a tic tac toe board.

Add in a pair of dice and kids can take turns hopping their way through to the end. Little hands will have a blast helping your draw out these designs with their own sidewalk chalk.

You could also incorporate a bit of Chutes and Ladders into this game and have certain numbers mean certain things, or even have treats sitting on individual squares.

Remember, the whole point of creating with sidewalk chalk is to have kids use their imagination, so encourage them to create games and rules for each other! 

Sidewalk Chalk Games: Make a Twister Board

Have the sprinkler ready after this activity because kids are sure to get “chalky” but that’s what makes it fun! Have mom or dad call out Twister moves while kids twist and stretch to hit all the called colors! Lots of laughs and some good old fashioned fun!

So many other favorite games could be created with chalk. What about Chutes and Ladders? Or even Hangman? 

Draw a Mancala Board with Chalk 

Sidewalk chalk games don’t just have to be fun, they can also be educational! 

Try some fun games like Mancala to help kids work on their counting skills. Not only is this a fun game for the whole family, but it’s also a really neat way to incorporate learning with fun!

You can also work on letters, colors and shapes by drawing these things in chalk. My kids always loved playing school with chalk. The possibilities are endless! 

Write Uplifting Messages for Friends and Neighbors with Chalk

Such a wonderful way to spread kindness and joy! Neighbors out walking are sure to stop and smile. This would also be a fun way to decorate someone’s driveway for a birthday or celebration. 

Have kids create sidewalk art with chalk and then take photos to send to Grandma! Turn the photos of their creations into fun greeting cards. So many fun ways to share their sidewalk art ideas! 

Body Tracing with Chalk 

Probably one of every kids favorite ways to create with chalk, body tracing! My daughter always loved for me to trace her body and then she would decorate it with an outfit, hair style and even painting fingernails and toes! 

Take your creation one step further by 

Photo Opportunities with Sidewalk Chalk

And most of all, don’t forget all of the amazing photo opportunities that can come from your sidewalk chalk creations! 

If you have access to an upstairs window, deck or even a ladder then you can shoot get some great shots of kids sitting on a rainbow, holding a bunch of balloons or even riding in their fancy chalk race car creations.

And maybe the BEST part about all of this? Keep the garden hose handy for super easy cleanup that makes this imaginative fun a simple and affordable (and non-stressful) activity for the whole family to enjoy! We’ve never had issue with sidewalk chalk staining but if that worries you – consider using Crayola Washable Sidewalk Chalk which is made to go on easy and wash right off.

Plus, the clean up is part of the fun when it comes to creating fun art with sidewalk chalk. Give the kids the water hose and they’ll have a ball washing away their bold outdoor art creations just in time to start over and do it all again!

Remember, it’s ALL about using their imagination and having fun. Best of all, it can all be done on a budget because sidewalk chalk is affordable fun for the whole family!