Homemade Sidewalk Chalk

Homemade Sidewalk Chalk

Age: 3 and up
Time: 20 minutes
Type of Activity: Arts and Crafts

Spending the afternoon creating a sidewalk masterpiece is a great way for your kids to enjoy a spring day. But long after their fantastic artwork has washed away, your kids will remember making their own colored chalk!

Materials needed:
1 cup plaster of Paris
1 cup water
Powdered tempera paint
Mold for chalk (small paper cups, ice cube trays, tissue rolls, etc.)
Mixing bowl and spoon

What to do:

Step One: In a large bowl, mix the water and plaster of Paris together.

Step Two: Add the powdered tempera paint to the mixture.

Step Three: Once the paint has been mixed in well, set it aside for a few minutes.

Step Four: Pour the mixture into the mold and let it dry. This can take anywhere from several hours to a day (or maybe longer), depending on the size of the mold. Remember: The bigger the mold, the longer it will take to dry.

Step Five: Once the mold is dry, remove the chalk. If the chalk is still moist, let it air dry for another 24 hours.

Now your kids can have a blast drawing with the chalk they created. Anything they draw will be washed away by the rain, so don't worry if they accidentally get some on the side of your house!