Are you creating a toolkit for outdoor adventures this spring? Sidewalk chalk is one of our favorite things. Your preschooler can make tremendous murals on the sidewalk or indoors on a wall painted with chalkboard paint. While sidewalk chalk is inexpensive to buy, it is also very fun to make. Always run out of green? Want to look pretty in more (and more and more) pink sidewalk chalk? Create a batch of chalk with your preschooler.
To create your own chalk, you will need a tub of Plaster of Paris, a jug of water, and something to make the chalk colorful. If you want strong, bright colors some powdered tempera paint or very bright acrylic works well. Food coloring is good as well, although expect it to look similar to the way it looks when it is in icing. I haven’t tried neon food coloring, but that might get you to a bright pink color. Jello powder also works as a fabric dye and if you are feeling experimental you might try that. Just don’t eat the sidewalk chalk, please.
You will also need some molds. Use soap molds, toilet paper tubes, chocolate molds, cupcake containers, or old muffin tins as molds. Textured molds are lovely but are more prone to creating slightly warped-looking chalk, since the plaster does not always go into all of the edges of the mold.
Place the plaster and any other solids into a bowl and slowly add water. Try not to breathe in the plaster – this is a good job for the adult who is present. The plaster will become warm, and this is good because it means that a chemical reaction is taking place. Add any paint or other coloring and mix it until it is the consistency of thick icing. Place the plaster into the molds with a spoon. Try not to get it on your hands, since it makes your hands dry as it dries.
Sidewalk chalk also makes the perfect gift for the bring-a-homemade-gift sort of party. If you’re hosting your own party, make chalk as favors for each of the children.
(Image thanks to iprole on Stock Exchange)