10 Educational Sidewalk Chalk Activities

Make learning fun and active with these educational sidewalk chalk activities!

Summer fun often includes sidewalk chalk. We all have memories of spending endless days scribbling on the ground only to be excited when the rain washes it away and we can start over from scratch. If your child comes in and does not need a bath they did not do their job! Sidewalk chalk can also be used to make learning fun. Here are 10 Educational Sidewalk Chalk Activities to try with your kids.

10 Educational Sidewalk Chalk Activities

1. A great way to use sidewalk chalk is to explore textures. You child can scribble nearly anywhere outside and see the textures of different items in the chalk. It leads to no damage and washes away in the next summer rain. Scribble on cement, brick, even tree bark, then spend time discussing different shapes and gasps you see. Ask how it felt to write on these different things.

2. Teach your child about shadows and time. Place a large object in an open space you can draw on. Trace the shadow of your large object and write the time inside the shadow. In a few hours come back and repeat the entire process. Discuss how over time the shadow changed is shape and direction.

3. Use sidewalk chalk to set the stage for pretend play. Pretend play is great for kids. They learn basic skills and get to use those imaginations that will one day leave their mark on the world. From setting up your own farmers market to blasting off in a spaceship sidewalk chalk takes art outside and makes it big enough to come to life in your child's head. Now you can even buy 3D chalk.

4. Practice letters and words with rainbow writing. A great way many parents teach children to write is with rainbow writing where you write the word and then your child traces it repeatedly in the colors of the rainbow. This method creates a fun design while helping your child build muscle memory. Only It gets even cooler with sidewalk chalk when you make your child's name “life size.”

5. Create an obstacle course from chalk that puts the classic hopscotch to shame. Get creative and build a nice big obstacle course full of wild twists, turns, and jumps. When you're done let the rain clean away the fun.

6. Draw in the puddles for deeper more vivid colors. While drawing with wet chalk will make you use it up more, it is loads of fun to see how much brighter the colors of wet chalk are. Plus, it is messy and kids LOVE messy.

7. Spelling words can be so much more fun full-size. This is a great method for kids with ADHD who need a little more activity to get through a basic spelling lesson.

8. Math can be done outside with chalk to make it fun and active. Skip counting with hopscotch is a fun way to practice times tables. Write out math problems in chalk, especially pictures. Make measuring angles and sides JUMBO size.

9. Sidewalk chalk can even be used to study the stars. When studying astronomy you can create constellations right on the ground during the peak of the day. Drawing them out is a great way to bring them to life on your child's level and make it fun. What stories can you come up with for each one? Why not turn the constellation into your vision of the story?

10. Learn geography outside by drawing the shapes of the states. You can draw one at a time as you study them. Really get familiar with each state’s shape as you talk about the state itself with your child. You can print each one out with google to make it easier.