15 Easy Ways to Have Fun with Sidewalk Chalk

Wondering what to draw with chalk? There are tons of creative ways to use this fun outdoor art supply

Sidewalk chalk is the Swiss Army knife of summer, and when the days get longer, there’s no better tool we’d rather have in our pockets. From straightforward to seriously creative, we’ve got an idea that will turn your sidewalk into hours of fun. Here are not only cool things to draw with chalk but also some of our favorite ways to make your mark (and then erase it).

1. Draw a backdrop for a picture. Bonus point for scenes where they’re flying or underwater. Need inspiration? See the amazing chalk creations we found around the globe, here.

2. Make silly silhouettes. Trace each other with chalk. And then fill in the details for a fun self-portrait.

3. DIY your own chalk. It’s easy to make an endless amount of summer’s favorite supply. See our tutorial, here.

4. Your sidewalk’s got game. Make a life-sized game board of their favorite game (Chutes & Ladders, Candy Land, checkers, etc.) and let your little gamers be the game pieces.

5. Let chalk hold court. Draw a makeshift tennis or basketball court, and let them practice their swings and dribbles like Princess Pinky Girl did.

6. Get wet. Hose down the driveway and let them experiment with chalk on a wet surface. They’ll love the new effect.

7. Chalk that’s to dye for. Need to freshen up your look? Turn sidewalk chalk into hair chalk in a few easy steps. Find out how at One Creative Housewife.

8. Go 3-D. Tired of a two-dimensional driveway? Turn your sidewalk chalk into foam paint. The Tip Toe Fairy shows you how here!

Related: 20 Cheap (or Free!) Sidewalk Games to Keep the Kids Busy

9. Be city planners for a day. Make a sidewalk chalk town and roadway. Look for inspiration at B-Inspired Mama.

10. Do some trolling. Turn the patches of grass growing through cracks in the driveway into the hair for your own pet trolls. Just add a body and let the fun begin!

11. Make an Olympic-worthy course. Measure out a long jump board, mark each milestone, and start training!

12. Make chalk pops. Make sidewalk chalk on a stick (they look like real treats!), then turn the kids loose to design a masterpiece. See how Project Nursery does it, here.

13. Create your own put-put. Draw a mini golf course and use a hockey puck or rock and a stick to play a round!

14. Decorate the walkway. An ode to the Wizard of Oz’s Yellow Brick Road—only with more color.

15. Make it glow. You can make a batch of your own glow-in-the-dark chalk, like Coffee Cups and Crayons.

Related: 20 Sidewalk Science Projects to Try Outside Today