DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

I’ve been wanting to try making sidewalk chalk paint for a long time now, and so I knew I wanted to try out this idea I had for the Michael’s Makers summer challenge! In fact making the paint is just as much fun as playing with it. My 3 year old was pretty obsessed with the fact that I let him use a hammer and loved crushing the sidewalk chalk. And this project is the perfect messy craft for kids for the summer. And of course you can find everything you need at Michael’s – your kids’ summer fun headquarters! They have everything you need to spark creativity in your children.

What you need:

1. Sidewalk Chalk

2. Plastic Bags

3. A Hammer

4. Water

5. Corn Starch

6. Bowls, Stir Sticks, Paint Brushes

How to make sidewalk chalk paint:

Step 1: Put a piece of sidewalk chalk in a sealed plastic bag. Thicker bags are less likely to rip. Smash the chalk with a hammer. My 3 year old son Oliver had so much fun with this step (and so did I!). The more crushed the chalk is the better.

Step 2: Pour the chalky powder into a bowl. Add about 2 tablespoons of corn starch (to thicken the paint mixture). Then add about 2 tablespoons of water and stir carefully. Add more or less water to make your sidewalk chalk paint thicker or thinner.

Step 3: Paint and enjoy! You can also find plastic bottles in the baking section of Michael’s and fill them with your sidewalk chalk paint for some spray bottle fun. I would recommend adding a lot more water to this mixture and making sure that there aren’t any big chunks of chalk that might clog the bottle.