Our favorite ways to use chalk paint with kids. Try this outdoor art activity for kids with our easy recipe!
Updated May 2024
Chalk painting is a fun outdoor art activity that my family returns to every spring and summer. We emerge from the long winter in Maine, and it feels SO good to get back outside.
I can let go of the mess better outdoors and the kids can just have fun. And the major advantage is that similar to drawing with chalk, this DIY paint washes away with water.
There’s no right way to do chalk painting and it’s a fun material to experiment with. I like it because it’s cheap, quick to mix up and the kids can have (almost) total freedom of where to use it.
If you’re looking for how to make chalk paint, try this easy recipe to get started.
Chalk Paint Ideas
Paint rainbows, explore a nature theme, or use the opportunity to draw big outdoors! Chalk painting is a great chance to explore the new “canvases” all around us. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
What to Paint
Your kids may need no inspiration or direction to started. And if that’s the case, go with it! Chalk painting is a wonderful opportunity to be free and explore an art material.
But if you’re looking for some ideas, here’s a place to begin:
- rainbows
- sun / nature themes
- create an underwater world
- write with paint
- paint patterns
Where to Paint
- outdoor chalk board
- patio
- rocks
- brick sidewalk
- driveway
- stones edging the garden
At the end of our painting session, it’s fun to use up the rest of the paint with splatter painting. With just a slight flick of the wrist, paint really flies.
More Outdoor Art for Kids
- How to Make Chalk Paint for Kids
- 24 Outdoor Art Ideas for Kids
- 10 DIY Outdoor Games for Summer (artfulparent.com)
- How to Make Oobleck
- 11 Ways to Have a Creative Summer with Kids
- Painting with a Kids Art Easel Outdoors
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