Painting on the Wild Side

Yesterday I whipped up a big ol’ bowl of sidewalk chalk paint. I’ve had my eye on this cool paint for a while on Pinterest, but was waiting for some nice spring weather to bust it out…BAM! I love a good activity that both the kiddos can do, is cheap, easy, and simple to clean. Well ladies and gents this is IT!

 

Despite its name, it actually does not require chalk, all you need are 3 simple ingredients that you probably have on hand: cornstarch, water, food coloring.

 

I’ve used these 3 ingredients to make slime during Halloween, it creates a great textural medium that is runny yet solid at the same time. To make the paint you just need to thin it slightly for painting.

Directions:

I mixed equal parts cornstarch to equal parts water in a bowl. To fill a 6 cup muffin pan I used ¾ cup each. Whisk together until smooth. If you want a thicker slime like paint just add a spoonful or two of extra cornstarch. It should drip from the whisk yet feel  difficult to stir at the bottom.

 

Next separate out into cups or a muffin tin and add 3-6 drops of food coloring in each section, depending on how rich or pastel you want the color to be.

Last, grab some brushes or sponges and hit the sidewalks or patio.

It is called chalk paint because when it dries, which happens quickly in the sun, it dries to a chalky finish that you can actually peel up and use like chalk. I love that you get 2 sensory experiences in one activity.

 

Both kids loved the chalk paint. Although I wouldn’t make it an afternoon snack, it is fairly harmless if your peanut is a taste tester like mine. As you can see, she did not like being told to not eat the paint!

 

Sean mixed his colors and was excited to see it change to brown.

 

Thumbs up all around for sidewalk chalk paint! It easily washes off surfaces, clothes, and skin with soap and water.