My daughters and I sat down and made a list of possible activities to fill our long summer days with fun. They said the local pool, and parks, and playing with friends. Great.
And then my daughter said chalk.
Ugh. Chalk.
I am not the biggest fan of sidewalk chalk. Sure it's fun, but it leaves them (and their clothes) full of powder that they inevitably bring into the house.
So they had their list, and I had my mission: Find an alternative to traditional chalk that my girls could use this summer.
After some trial and error, we created a chalk paint that creates sidewalk masterpieces, while keeping hands and clothing clean. MAJOR. WIN.
What you need:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup flour
- A squeeze of dish soap
- 6-7 drops of washable paint or food colouring to give the paint colour
- Mixing bowl
- Something to store the chalk paint in (we used squirt bottles, but you could store it in a jar and use a paintbrush, or put it in a spray bottle and spray for some abstract chalk art!)
Instructions:
- Mix the water and flour together in a bowl.
- Add a squeeze of dish soap to the mixture. Continue to stir.
- Add the colouring until you reach the colour you'd like your sidewalk paint to be.
- Transfer the paint to your container.
- Repeat again with a different colour to make as many different chalk paints as you'd like.
- Create your sidewalk masterpiece!
Pro tip: Washable paint comes off a little easier than food colouring. If you are using food colouring, wash the design off before it completely dries to ensure it does not leave a mark.
Have fun in the sun this summer with your new chalk paints! Simply use water to wash away your designs.
We'd love to see your works of art! Be sure to tag us with @macaronikid on social media so we can see your masterpieces this summer!
Renae Gonzalez is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Brentwood, Calif.
