Homemade Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Homemade Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Materials:

2 tablespoons of cornstarch 

2 tablespoons of water

4-5 drops of food coloring

Directions:  Add the cornstarch first and then the water for ease in mixing. The amount of food coloring you use will determine the intesity of color in the paint. I mixed in plastic containers - small sized deli containers work great. Using an ice cube tray or mufffin tin can be a great base for your paints.

Tips: I liked to give each child their own tray with all the colors and a few open spaces for "mixing" their own combinations. You may also want to consider dividing up the sidewalk or driveway into sections so there are fewer issues with competing for space. Using several types of brushes can vary the experience. Because of the roughness of the sidewalk or driveway I wouldn't recommend the foam style brush as it tends to shred pretty quickly. Having small spray bottles of water handy can add interest to the experience. It's interesting for some children to see colors "bleed" into each other or to get an even more watered down color.

We enjoyed having an "art walk" after our creative sessions to enjoy everyone's masterpieces. It's good for the children to know that this isn't permanent before they get started. We tried to take photos of everyone's paintings so we had a momento.