DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint For Kids (Plus 2 Cool Ideas)!

Easy recipe for washable sidewalk chalk paint! Your kids will love not only playing with it but making it too! PLUS two more cool ideas to make your sidewalk chalk paint even more fun!  

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It’s summertime so that means we are outside pretty much every day! If you are like me, you are always looking for fun new things for your little ones to do. You have to keep things fun and entertaining- am I right? What better way to entertain your kiddos than by having them make their own sidewalk chalk paint! They will have so much fun mixing/creating the paint and they will have an even better time playing with it outside. I’ve included this super simple 3-ingredient recipe to make basic sidewalk chalk paint and then added two other cool ideas of what you can do with the chalk paint after you make it!

Sidewalk Chalk Paint Ingredients:

• Cornstarch
• Water
• Food Coloring 

Use equal parts cornstarch and water when mixing your chalk paint!

Directions:

Step 1:

If mixing in a muffin pan, like I did, place about four tablespoons of cornstarch into each muffin compartment. If you want to make four different colors then you’ll need to fill in four different compartments in the muffin pan.  

Try out these muffin pans. They are silicon and come in a two-pack. We use them for so many different crafts and also for a fun snack time (put a different snack in each cup).

Step 2: 

***IMPORTANT***

Take a small bowl/cup and put about four tablespoons of water in it. Next drop in some food coloring (approximately 4-6 drops) and mix it thoroughly. You want to make sure you mix the water and food coloring first before mixing it with the cornstarch. This makes mixing with the cornstarch easier and it will not stain your little one’s hands if the dye is premixed with the water. 

Step 3:

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Add the water/food coloring to the cornstarch and mix thoroughly. If the mixture is too thick then add a bit more water. Likewise, if the mixture is too watery, then add a touch of cornstarch. Sometimes when initially mixing, the cornstarch can harden at the bottom. Just keep mixing- it should break up and mix well with the water. 

Step 4:

Repeat steps 1-3 for each color that you wish to create.

Step 5:

Once you have all of your colors, you can now start painting the sidewalk outside! Grab a paintbrush and go to town! Wondering what to do once you are finished playing with the sidewalk chalk paint? Simply grab the hose and wash it away!

More Sidewalk Chalk Ideas

Frozen “Chalk Pops”

This is the PERFECT idea for a hot summer day.

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Follow the same recipe for making the chalk paint but mix the ingredients in an ice cube tray instead. Before popping them into the freezer, stick in a popsicle stick into each ice cube slot. You don’t have to use a popsicle stick but it makes it easier for little ones to hold/paint with it.

Hidden Treasure Chalk Blocks

This is another super cool idea. It acts as both a little science experiment and a fun activity for your kiddo!

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What You Will Need:

The same 3-ingredients as mentioned earlier (cornstarch, water, food coloring) plus baking soda and white distilled vinegar. The vinegar is used at the end once your chalk blocks are frozen.

Directions:

1. Use the same recipe for making the chalk paint but instead of an equal part cornstarch to water, use half the amount of cornstarch and supplement the other half with baking soda. So for example if doing 4 tablespoons of water, then use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Mix the cornstarch and baking soda thoroughly before adding in the water/food coloring mixture.
2. Next, put a toy in the center of your chalk mixture and make sure you mixed enough chalk paint to cover the toy. After, place it in the freezer and let it freeze!
3. Once your chalk block is frozen, it is time to let the fun begin! Grab your white distilled vinegar and place it into droppers like the ones we used. Need some? Check them out here. Otherwise you can pour some vinegar into a bowl and your little one can spoon it onto the chalk blocks. Your little one will watch in amazement as the chalk blocks fizzes and their “hidden treasure” toy appears!

I hope you enjoy making sidewalk chalk paint as much as my kiddos and I love to. If you are interested in other fun summer ideas check out:  Puffy Paint Recipe, Summer Must-Have Toys, & Homemade Play Dough Recipe!

Happy Chalk Painting!