Chalk Paint
By Ms. Grace
Let your children use the sidewalk as a canvas to transform concrete into a colorful masterpiece!
We all love drawing with chalk on the sidewalk but painting brings in a whole new element of fun. This simple process utilizes just water and a hammer to make the chalk paints. When colors can blend together fluidly and be splattered playfully there is no end to the joy this simple activity can bring.
If you have short/used nubs of chalk laying around begin by recycling those to use for making the paints. You can just as easily break off pieces of larger chalk to make your paints or go all out and use whole sticks to make an abundance. Your children can play around using different brushes or their hands to paint and stencils or cookie cutters to make shapes. Experiment flicking the paint filled brushes for a satisfying splatter effect.
Materials:
Different colored chalk
Hammer
Old plastic bags (ziplock ideal)
Palette or jars for paints (a muffin tin works well)
Paint brushes
Stencils, cookie cutters, sponges (optional)
Small pitcher of water
Begin by placing a piece of chalk in a plastic bag. It’s ideal to have a zip lock bag so none of the chalk escapes when you’re pounding. The amount of chalk you crush will depend on how much paint you wish to make. You can crush single colors in different bags or experiment with crushing a couple colors together. Assist/oversee young children in using the hammer to crush the chalk in the bag. Turn over the bag and open up to check how fine it has become. You want to pound until it's a fine powder consistency.
Gently pour powdered chalk from bags into your pallet or jars. Begin pouring water into each color, start with a small amount and mix with a paintbrush until you reach your desired consistency. A little thinner than toothpaste is a good place to start.
Once you finish mixing your paints you’re ready to start painting!
Experiment using different sized brushes, stencils, sponges, and/or cookie cutters to make different shapes and textures. If you don’t mind getting messy try flicking the brushes to make splatter art designs.
