Sidewalk Chalk Ideas for Screen-Free Play 

Sidewalk chalk is a timeless summer tradition. It’s fun, easy to clean up and can be very educational. Utilizing sidewalk chalk also allows kids to get creative, avoid screen time and get outdoors. 

In addition to just simply drawing with chalk, there are several games you can teach your kids to play to extend their outdoor play time. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite chalk games for you to try! These games will improve your child's academic knowledge, develop fine motor skills, improve self-confidence and enhance language skills. 

In addition to all the listed benefits, spending time outside playing with chalk is great for your immune health. 

 
Here are 17 fun sidewalk chalk activities that are sure to keep your child outdoors for a long period of time: 

1. Self portrait 

a. This is an oldie but a goodie! Have your child lie on the cement while you trace the outside of his or her body. Once he or she stands up, color and decorate the chalk figure as you’d like. 


2. Checkers 


a. It’s like the classic game, except the board is the sidewalk. Create a checkerboard by drawing a box with 10 rows one way 8 rows the other way. This combination should create 64 squares. Color in every other square so that half of the board has chalk on it and the other does not. Now you’ve got yourself a chalk checkerboard! 


3. Wet sidewalk chalk 

a. What’s better than dry sidewalk chalk? Wet sidewalk chalk! It paints a creamy, smooth surface that is easy to create with. For a fun wet sidewalk chalk activity, you’ll need plastic containers and a jug of warm water. Simply pour the warm water into a plastic container and dip a stick of chalk into the warm water. The chalk absorbs the water quickly and will be ready to draw in seconds. 


4. Tic Tac Toe 

a. Put a chalk twist on the classic game! Simply draw the tic tac toe board and begin your game of x’s and o’s. 


5. Long Jump 

a. See how far you can jump by marking a starting line where you jump with sidewalk chalk and then mark the distance you jumped. Try both standing and running long jump! For this activity, we would recommend wearing knee pads, elbow pads and hand pads. We love this set that includes all three.  


6. Dots and Lines Game 

a. This game is great for learning strategy. Start with an empty grid of dots and take turns adding a single horizontal or vertical line between two dots. Whoever closes a box earns one point and gets another turn. Whoever closes a box also initials inside of the box so that you can identify who has the most points at the end of the game. 


7. Fun Messages 

a. Have you ever ran a 5k and seen encouraging messages along the sidewalk or roadway? Even a simple message such as “You got this!” can help you push through the race. Similarly, it can be helpful to neighbors or other family members if you write a message for them on the sidewalk. While they’re on a walk around the neighborhood, it might brighten their day to see a “Have a great day!” message or other encouraging words. 


8. Target Practice 

a. If you have a bean bag or even a rock, you can create a fun target practice chalk game! Simply draw one large circle and create as many smaller circles inside of the large circle as you’d like. Incorporate math into the game by making each circle a different value. For example, the outer circle can be worth 5 points while the bullseye in the middle is worth 25 points. 


9. Outdoor Twister 

a. Create your own twister game by drawing four different colored rows of five circles. With a spinner, you can easily play Twister outdoors. 


10. Chalk Town 

a. Create a roadway and add a variety of fun businesses and locations, such as a park, school, gas station, police station, post office and house. Your children will love the creativity and imagination of chalk town. They can even ride their bikes or scooters through the town like they’re riding in a car! 


11. Ultimate Hopscotch 

a. Ultimate hopscotch is the normal hopscotch game with your own personalized twists involved. Instead of just doing the regular hops, add a few different activities such as spinning in a circle, crab walking, jumping to the sky, jumping rope or anything else you can think of. You can get as creative as you want! 


12. Shuffleboard 

a. Create a mini version of shuffleboard by drawing two goal posts with chalk. Grab a marble and sit one team on each side of the goal posts. Take turns rolling the marble from one goal post to the other. If the marble goes through the goal post, you get one point. If the marble stops in the goal post, you get five points. Whoever has the most points wins! 


13. Chalk Maze 

a. Your child will love this chalk maze and he or she will also learn simple problem-solving skills. Create a maze out of chalk and watch your child navigate through it with a toy car. They can also draw a line with their own piece of chalk through the maze from the start to the finish.  


14. Four Square 

a. With chalk, draw a large square and split it up into four quadrants. To learn how to play four square, see this Youtube video. This classic schoolyard game is sure to be a hit amongst the elementary aged kiddos! 


15. Avoid the Shark 

a. With a few different colors of chalk, draw beaches at a variety of distances apart. Use blue chalk for the water and shark fins in between each of the beaches. Kids can jump from beach to beach. If they set foot in the water or on the fins, they’re “out”. Whoever avoids the sharks for the longest amount of time wins! 


16. Alphabet Hop 

a. This game is a great way to learn the alphabet for younger children or learn how to spell for older children. Use chalk to create 26 squares close to one another and write the letters of the alphabet in each square. Have younger children hop from one letter to the next only if they can call out the letter’s name. For older children, have them spell out words by hopping from one letter to the next. This is a fun way to develop spelling skills. 


17. Four Corners 

a. Draw a large square with smaller squares drawn in each corner of the large square. Draw a circle in the middle of the large square. The “counter” stands in the middle of the circle, closes their eyes and counts to ten. During these ten seconds, the other players skip around the counter and choose a corner to stand in. The counter calls out one of the four corners by color while their eyes are still closed. All the players standing in that corner are out, and the game continues until all players are out. 


Which of the above chalk games sounds like the most fun to you? Try a few of them out with your kiddos and see which games they love! These creative chalk games are sure to get keep your child active and outdoors for hours on end while improving their immune health. 
 
 
Works Cited 
https://www.wccc.wellesley.edu/asp/play-sidewalk-chalk-checkers/ 
https://www.thistinybluehouse.com/summer-sidewalk-chalk-art/ 
https://www.thepespecialist.com/foursquare/ 
https://activeforlife.com/8-active-chalk-games/#:~:text=Avoid%20the%20Shark,%E2%80%9D%20in%20the%20%E2%80%9Cwater.%E2%80%9D