Sidewalk chalk is one of those things you didn’t know you needed until you have it. It keeps kids busy for extended periods of time and works for both group and solo play. Here are some fun activities to try.
4 Square
This was a school yard favourite in my day (for those of us who can remember that far back) the game goes by many names. I recall we called it Bambi around these parts and all you need is a ball and chalk. Draw your own 4 square court with chalk, mark a number from 1 to 4 in each square. Each player stands in each of the squares, and the player in square 4 starts by bouncing the ball in their square and then hitting it towards one of the other squares. The receiving player then hits the ball to any other player. The ball must bounce in the receiving player’s square once and they must hit it to another player before it bounces a second time. If the player misses a square or the ball bounces a second time before they hit it, they are “out”. If there are more than 4 players, the player who is out goes to the end of the line of waiting players. If there are only 4 players, the player who is out would move to the next lowest position, 4 being the highest square.
Tic Tac Toc
Everyone knows this game but just in case,here is the basic rules. The game is played on a grid that’s 3 squares by 3 squares. Players take turns putting their marks in empty squares (one player is x the other is O)The first player to get 3 of their marks in a row (up, down, across, or diagonally) is the winner.
Chalk Maze
Have kids design their own web of lines, circles, and other lines with chalk to design a maze through which others can walk, run, ride or push cars around in. The bigger, more colourful, and more intricate the maze, the more fun it will be.
Twister
This is a fun outdoor version of the traditional twister game. Create your own chalk twister board with at least four colours and four shapes and have one person call out instructions as to where players should place their right hands, right feet, left hands and left feet.
Island Hop
Draw little islands on your driveway and have participants pretend that everything in between is the sea, filled with giant jelly fish, or sharks waiting to catch someone who steps off the islands or stepping stones. (Very similar to – the floor is larva) other players pretend to be the sharks or fish and catch players who are not safely on an island.
Pictionary
The aim of Pictionary is to guess what the drawer, who is drawing words from a list of cards. Once you guess correctly, you can advance across the game board and the first to reach the end wins. For this outdoor version trade in the pen and paper for chalk and a sidewalk and put some clues on scrap pieces of paper, the team that answers the most questions wins.
Hopscotch
Draw a traditional hopscotch diagram (just google if you aren’t sure or can’t remember anymore).Throw a small stone, twig, beanbag, or other marker into the first square. (If it lands on a line, or outside the square, you lose your turn. Pass the marker to the following player and wait for your next turn.)Hop on one foot into the first empty square, and then every subsequent empty square. Be sure to skip the one your marker is on. At the pairs, jump with both feet. At 10, hop with both feet, turn around, and head back toward the start. When you reach the marked square again, pick up the marker—still on one foot!—and complete the course.
I received some craft supplies including sidewalk chalk from OMO as a reminder to not be afraid to let the kids get dirty….chdck out this link for loads more messy fun: https://www.omo.com/za/messy-play-zone.html
