Homemade sidewalk chalk paint is a colorful, easy recipe to keep younger kids entertained. With simple ingredients like cornstarch and water, you can make your own paints that are washable, safe, and a great way to enjoy long summer days.
Homemade Sidewalk Chalk Paint for Summertime Fun
This sidewalk paint recipe is one of our favorite kids’ crafts because it combines creative play with simple ingredients you already have at home. It’s a great way to introduce kids to the joys of homemade paint. Whether it’s the first time or the hundredth, this messy play is sure to bring hours of fun to your family.
In this post, we’ll share our favorite sidewalk paint recipe, tips for cleanup, and even a list of possible activities to make your kids’ crafts time unforgettable.
Summertime is the perfect season for messy play, creative crafts, and hours of fun outside.
What You’ll Need
Gather these simple ingredients and supplies.
Equal parts cornstarch and water. A few drops of food coloring or washable paint.
Optional baking soda for fizzing effects
- Separate bowls, a muffin tin, or small containers for mixing
- Paint brushes, foam brushes, or squirt bottles
How to Make Your Own DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint
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Equipment
Materials
- 1 Cup Cornstarch
- 1 Cup Water
- Drops of food coloring or washable paint
- Optional: Baking soda for fizzing effects
Instructions
- Mix the Base. In a bowl, combine 1 cup of cornstarch with 1 cup of water. Stir until the mixture is smooth. For a larger batch, use the same ratio of cornstarch to water.1 Cup Cornstarch, 1 Cup Water
- Add Color. Divide the base into separate bowls, a muffin tin, or small containers. Add a few drops of food coloring to each, stirring to blend. For brighter colors, use more drops of color or washable paint.Drops of food coloring or washable paint
- Transfer to Bottles (Optional). Pour the colorful paint into squeeze bottles, spray bottles, or squirt bottles for easy use. You can also leave it in the bowls for use with paint brushes or foam brushes.
- Experiment with Fizz (Optional). Add a little baking soda to the paint and spray with vinegar for a fun, fizzy effect.Optional: Baking soda for fizzing effects
Notes
Separate bowls, a muffin tin, or small containers for mixing
Paint brushes, foam brushes, or squirt bottles
Get Creative
Head outside to your back patio, driveway, or parking lots. Use your homemade sidewalk paint to create colorful sidewalk art. Let the kids experiment with different techniques—painting, splattering, or spraying.
Cleanup Tips
It’s easy to wash away. A garden hose or a little bit of water will take care of most messes. Rain can handle the rest if you’re in no rush!
Clothing. For any spills, pretreat stains with laundry tips like soaking in cold water before washing.
Leftover Paint. Store leftover paint in airtight containers for reuse or let it dry for easier disposal.
Fun Outdoor Art Activities
This DIY sidewalk chalk paint is a fun way to entertain kids during long summer days. Here are a few activity ideas.
Classic Games and Activities
Hopscotch. Design a colorful hopscotch grid with fun shapes or themes.
Tic-Tac-Toe. Create large tic-tac-toe boards for endless rounds of play.
Obstacle Course. Paint arrows, zigzags, and shapes for a DIY movement course.
Target Practice. Draw targets for bean bags or balls to land on.
Creative Designs
Mural Masterpiece. Let kids collaborate on a giant mural featuring nature, animals, or abstract art.
Mazes. Create intricate mazes for younger kids to “solve” with their fingers or toy cars.
Portraits. Encourage them to draw self-portraits or pictures of their friends and family.
Silly Faces. Paint funny or silly faces and let kids come up with backstories for them.
Nature-Inspired Art
Garden Scene. Draw flowers, trees, insects, and rainbows for a summery vibe.
Ocean Adventure. Paint underwater scenes with fish, seaweed, and treasure chests.
Weather Art. Illustrate sunny skies, storms, or snowy landscapes.
Animal Safari. Create their favorite animals or invent new ones.
Learning Fun
Alphabet Practice. Write letters and let kids trace or paint over them.
Numbers and Counting. Paint numbers and have kids practice counting or simple math.
Shapes Galore. Draw geometric shapes and let kids paint them in different colors.
Word Search. Create a word search puzzle using chalk paint.
Themed Creations
Space Adventure. Paint rockets, planets, stars, and astronauts.
Superhero Scenes. Design capes, masks, or their favorite heroes in action.
Fairy Tale Land. Create castles, dragons, and magical creatures.
Holiday Cheer. Paint seasonal themes like pumpkins, snowflakes, or hearts.
Interactive Activities
Body Outlines. Trace their bodies with chalk paint and let them “decorate” themselves.
Scene and Story. Paint a scene, then create a story to go with it.
Shadow Art. Outline shadows of objects or people at different times of the day.
Pathways. Draw roads and towns for toy cars and trucks to drive through.
Fun with Science and Colors
Color Mixing. Experiment with blending colors on the pavement.
Fizzy Art. Add baking soda and spray vinegar over designs for a bubbly effect.
Weather Patterns. Draw clouds, sun, or rain and discuss weather changes.
Constellation Map. Paint star patterns and connect them with lines.
Give this homemade sidewalk chalk paint recipe a try, and let your kids be the biggest fans of their own colorful sidewalk art.
such a fun activity for the whole family.