Are you looking for some creative activities on the weekend or during the school holidays? Do you still remember the fun memories of hopscotch game with your siblings? We have listed 14 easy and fun things to draw with chalk for kids, either in your backyard or on paper.
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Benefits of Chalk Drawing
Chalk art has been popular with children for decades, and drawing with chalk is enjoyable and accessible to all ages. They can join in the fun with just a bucket of colored chalk and their imagination, regardless of skill level.
Drawing with chalk is cheap, easy, screen avoided, and primarily mess-free. Best of all, cleanup is fun as well. A bit of rain or water is sufficient, and give the kids the water hose and let them do the work. The learning benefits of drawing and writing with chalk are endless, improving skill, creativity, and literacy development. During the pandemic, chalk art has commonly been used to boost neighborhood morale.
Is Chalk Safe?
The simple answer is yes. Chalk is non-toxic. It is only problematic when eating large amounts or inhaling the chalk frequently over time.
- Eat Chalk
Chalk is made up of either calcium carbonate or calcium sulfate, and it’s considered by experts to be non-toxic in small amounts. According to the Missouri Poison Center, if you spot your kids eating chalk, wipe out the mouth, give a serving size of water to drink, and rinse any exposed skin with lukewarm water.
- Chalk Dust
The chalk dust is non-toxic, meaning there is no risk when ingested. However, this material can accumulate in the human respiratory system to create long-term health problems due to overexposure.
Types of Chalk Drawing
In its basic form, chalk art is the creation of visual Art on a chalkboard, sidewalk, paper, glass, or similar surface with chalk. It is frequently used for kids’ play, street art festivals, and other functions. Different chalk mediums include thick and thin chalk, chalk pencils, chalk pastels, and chalk markers.
- Chalk Drawing on Paper
Chalk is an adaptable medium that works well on paper. Draw with chalk pastels and blend the colors to achieve the desired shading effect in your drawing. You can use regular chalk or chalk pencils if you want a dusty, chalky effect. You can use chalk markers on paper to create crisp, clean lines.
- Chalk Drawing on Concrete
The pores on the concrete surface will absorb the chalk colors so that chalk will stay on the pavement.
You can draw anything and water to add vibrancy to the chalk art. To do this, take a broad brush and dip it in water. Then, brush it with even strokes onto the chalk drawing, and your chalk art will come alive. Also, you can fill a few cups with water and dip the chalk in water for 10 seconds. Then use it to draw. It will look like wet paint, and the colors of your chalk art ideas will be very vivid.
Types of Chalk
- Giant Chalk: Suitable for kids drawing on the wall or ground.
- Tie Dye Chalk: Chalk with a twist, more colors is mixed into each stick of chalk to create super colorful artwork.
- Liquid Chalk Pens: These liquid chalk pens are great for artwork created on a blackboard or glass and will erase from these surfaces easily.
- Chalk Pastels: These chalks are perfect for more detailed drawings if you prefer to draw on paper.
- Dye Hair Chalk: It is perfect for the “strange hair day”.
Tips of Chalk Drawing
- Select a safe, traffic-free location like a closed street or driveway.
- Clean the entire area and obtain a kneeling pad
- Create a grid with a light line using sketches or photos.
- Begin with an outline and work your way in.
- To create shading, use light and dark versions of the same color.
- Smooth the drawing with your fingers or hands.
- When possible, work in layers from dark to light. Make highlights in the final layer.
- Get your chalk wet if you want a brighter color. It will wear down faster, but the color will be more vibrant.
- Always have a wet towel on hand to correct mistakes.
- Once your drawing is complete, lightly spray it with water to blend the chalk and settle the color.
- When creating a 3D drawing, ensure no shadows are falling across the area where you’ll be working. You’ll also want to know where the shadows will fall when someone stands in your shot.
- Drink plenty of water, apply sunscreen, and wear a hat!
Examples of Chalk Drawing
Ok, let’s grab some chalk and be creative. There are many easy chalk drawing ideas: rainbow, cloud, flower, or balloons! You could even challenge them to write the alphabet or their name.
1. Hopscotch
Don’t underestimate the classic chalk game—hopscotch! This activity is fun to play with and encourages kids to practice gross motor skills like balancing. It’s also a chance for the little ones to practice counting. Your hopscotch path doesn’t have to be the typical squares. You can also invent outer other theme such as “space hopscotch” to jump from planet to planet or “garden hopscotch” and jump from grass to flower.
2. Alphabet hopping
Make 26 squares or circles that are reasonably close together, and write the letters of the alphabet in each. To help children learn their alphabet, call out letters as they move from one to the next. For kids who can spell, call out words to spell and have them jump from one note to the next using one or two feet. You can play together as well!
3. Monopoly board
An excellent interactive way to teach kids about money!
4. Town road chalk
Instead of using the chalk on its own, incorporate other toys into your play. Such as a highway with all your cars, trucks, or castle, or animals. Combined with Duplo other toys. Or make a castle, gardens, and a dragon for them to fight. Those Lego people might enjoy wandering through a chalk jungle or visiting animals at the chalk zoo.
5. Chalk twister
Simple but super fun!
6. Interactive chalk arts
The chalk drawings are perfect for story telling and photo shoots. For example, a cityscape and then lie down above it with a cape in a flying position: superhero photo! Create a giant mushroom forest floor, then lie down with your legs crossed above one of the giant mushrooms to pretend you’re sitting on top of it. Can’t hold up an elephant in the real world? Draw a chalk elephant. Then, lie below it, pretending to let it rest on your hands for an unbelievable photo! Have fun thinking of crazy scenes and poses. Then, ensure your photographer can stand tall enough above you for the right angle in the final shot. There are many fantastic examples on Pinterest or Flicker, if you search for “chalk art”, they will pop up
7. Self-portrait or family portrait chalk arts
It is a simple but enjoyable project for the kids. Begin by having your kids or your whole family lay down on the ground so you can draw around their silhouette, then let them loose to create their self-portrait with bright colors and wild hair! The results will make you laugh.
You can lie down straight or be in a silly pose and include pets for added fun.
8. Stained glass chalk art
Instead of using chalk to draw specific objects or write messages, try making an abstract piece! With painter’s tape, mark off a large square or rectangular area. Then use additional tape to create random shapes inside your outline. Some will be triangles, others trapezoids, and so on. Once you’ve taped the whole area into different sections, color each one with a piece of chalk. When you’re finished, remove the tape to see your design!
9. Kids chalk messages
Spread joy with inspirational messages! People feel of belonging to their communities have better mental health outcomes during tragedy times. Make your neighborhood happier by chalk messages in the public area, such as “Be happy” or “Smile” or “Have a great day”.
10. Chalk mural
Instead of small, individual drawings, encourage your child to create a “chalk mural.” A chalk mural is a collection of related images that fill a large area (a few squares on the sidewalk, a section of the driveway, etc.). You could start by looking at photos of professional artists’ murals! If your child is unsure where to begin, brainstorm some ideas and themes with him or her. For example, they could create an animal mural with drawings of all of their favorite forest or jungle creatures! This activity can also be used to promote cooperation and collaboration; if your child has cousins or wants to play with their siblings, try to get everyone on board!
11. Chalk paint
Chalk pastels are one of my favorite art supplies in learning painting. They can enable a child to create a beautiful layer of color with just their fingers and it is always reversible. There is no need for paint, brushes, or water to create a colorful work of art. Pastel colors are also great for color mixing. They are soft, beautiful, and available in every color imaginable.
12. 3D pavement chalk drawing
Every year, “3D” pavement art grows in popularity as an exciting blend of analog and digital interaction ideal for social media activations and special events. It is an optical illusion by one-point perspective. It’s an image that has been stretched out on the ground so that the 3D effect can only be seen from one location. The piece begins to distort as you walk around it. If you would like to try the 3D pavement chalk drawing, Nate Baranowski has created a video for 3D Hopscotch.
13. Draw with music
Draw with chalk is relaxing, you can put some music on as well! Encourage kids draw pictures based on the music and their feelings by different colors and shapes. This activity gives the opportunity for kids to use their ears to feel to music and follow their heart. In the end it can be a dance party!
14. Dye your hair
Do you want colored hair for a few days but don’t want to dye permanent color? Chalk dying your hair is simple and requires little commitment because the chalk fades after a few washes.
Final Thoughts from Pragmatic Lifestyle
Here we have listed 14 types things can draw with chalk. Chalk drawing is cheap, easy to clean up, it is an excellent way to spend a relax afternoon with kids in your garden. Hope you and your kids enjoy the creative and patient process!
About me
Hi, there. I am Lin. Together with my husband and two kids, we live in the beautiful Netherlands in Europe. I am dedicated to self-development, creating quality time for the whole family, and fully supporting kids with their potentials with all I have learned from engineering, MBA, and 10+ years of working experience in the energy sector.
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