In the midst of summer, one can begin to run out of ideas to keep energy-filled little ones busy. Do you know what I mean? Yes, there are trips to the pool, walks through trails, visits to the park, play dates with friends, and much more, which are all fun and games, don’t you agree? But, there are many times that you want to keep them busy at home (especially in the middle of a move).
I’ve wanted to try making our own sidewalk chalk paint for a while – what a perfect time! I took out the ingredients and let the kids at it. They had so much fun making the paint and using it afterwards. The end result was amazing and the colors were so vibrant! I can’t believe we waited so long to make our own sidewalk paint! It is by far one of the easiest crafts we have ever made. Want to give it a try? You only need 3 simple ingredients, two of which you can easily pick up on your next grocery shopping trip to Walmart, if they’re not already in your pantry.
DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint {Kids Craft}
Materials Needed:
- Corn starch
- Food colors – we used an assorted set sold at Walmart for $3.48
- Water
- Spray bottles or containers to hold the paint
Yup, that’s all you need!
How to Make Sidewalk Chalk Paint:
Combine one part cornstarch with one part water and mix well. We poured our mix directly into the spray bottles, then added a few drops of food coloring. The deeper the color you want, the more food coloring drops you’ll need. Shake well.
The kids made sidewalk paint in primary colors this time, but you can mix your food colors and make an infinite variety of colors. The best part (as mentioned before) is how beautiful and vibrant the colors are. The kids enjoyed both spray painting the sidewalk, as well as using paint brushes. I do, however, recommend you use cheaper plastic brushes because the roughness of a sidewalk/driveway can really wear out the brushes. Another great idea would be to use sponges or sponge brushes – or even your fingers!
Lastly, because it is food coloring, it can and will stain clothes, so my recommendation if you have little ones, is to wear old play clothes and/or bathing suits. Then, you can rinse the kids off for double the fun! Mine are a bit older (five and seven) and were just fine painting with their regular clothes.
Have fun creating with your homemade sidewalk chalk paint!
Lisa Renata is a proud multicultural Latina of Mexican, German and Japanese descent. She and her husband of German, Scott-Irish descent are raising their two lovely kids bilingual and in a home full of diverse traditions. She holds a degree in Cultural Anthropology and is a certified Interpreter. She is also the creator of SaboraCajeta.com, where she shares her craft ideas, and her passion for sewing and photography. You can find Lisa occasionally sharing simple and fun kids crafts here on modernmami.com.Disclosure: As a participant in the Walmart Moms Program, modernmami™ received compensation for the time and effort in creating this post. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
All photos © Lisa Renata
What a cool idea! Doing it this weekend!
Isn’t it? And so simple too!