DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint - Project Nursery

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I think that all kids are inherently creative, and it’s so interesting to see how they explore their ideas. Maybe it’s through pretend play—making up fairy tales and creating elaborate costumes to wear while acting them out. Or it could be music—either singing famous tunes or making up original melodies on kid-sized instruments. It might even be architecture—building elaborate blanket forts with intricate designs and multiple rooms. For my kids, it’s fine art. Give them a piece of paper and a box of crayons, and their imaginations come alive.

Nothing brings me more joy than to watch my kids create, so with summer on the horizon, I thought I’d give them a new medium perfect for using outside. Sidewalk chalk is a fan favorite in our house, but I hadn’t given them the opportunity to experiment with sidewalk chalk paint. So I decided to embrace the inevitable mess, rolled up my sleeves and made my own.

Materials: cheese grater, sidewalk chalk, water Optional: funnel, squirt bottles

If you search Pinterest for “sidewalk chalk paint,” you’ll find tons of recipes and inspiration, but I’m a purist, so I went straight to the source for my main ingredient—sidewalk chalk. The phrase “just add water” and all of the simplicity that it implies has never been so true!

Hold the grater over bowl or a cup (I used a measuring cup to make the pouring step easier). Rub the chalk back and forth over the finest grating surface to create chalk powder. This step should be done by an adult.

If you’re using squeeze bottles, pour the chalk powder into the bottles through a funnel. If you prefer to mix your paint in a container with a wider opening, you can skip this step.

Add water to the chalk powder. Use less water to create a thicker paint that’s perfect for brushes and more water to create a thinner consistency that can be squirted out of the bottles. For reference, I used about 1/4 cup of water for every two pieces of chalk. And the beauty of this chalk paint is that as it dries up, you can simply add more water to keep the fun going.

Hold your finger over the top of the bottle to prevent paint splatters and shake it ~~off~~ up. (Or mix the paint with a wooden spoon if you’re making it in a bowl.)

Repeat the process until you’ve created a rainbow of sidewalk chalk paint colors, and then gather the rest of your supplies for your little artists.

Supplies: squeeze bottles, paint palette, paint brushes, foam brushes, Huggies® wipes

No instructions necessary—these two went right to work mixing colors on the paint palette.

They worked quietly and intently at first—check out that concentration!

The party really got started when they discovered that they could squeeze the paint right onto the driveway and create puddles of vibrant color.

And from that point on, the paintbrushes were all but forgotten.

All kids are different, but messes happen—intentional or not. I consider myself lucky that both of my little ones would usually rather keep their hands clean, so I always keep a package of wipes within arm’s reach. And I’m extra picky when it comes to the products that touch their sensitive skin, so I really appreciate that Huggies Natural Care® Wipes are hypoallergenic, fragrance and alcohol free. And how cute is that Clutch ‘N’ Clean? It’s perfect to take on-the-go for summer adventures and outdoor activities.

Not to be outdone by his sister, at 18 months old, my son is totally dedicated to his art. I love his focus and determination to keep up with big sis!

Once we had collected a wipe in every color and covered the driveway in original art, we called it a day—but not without the promise of another afternoon of outdoor art on our next sunny day.

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