Outdoor chalk-drawing gives your child the opportunity to express their creative side, and the only limit to what they can draw is their own imaginations. Outdoor chalk-drawing can also be incorporated into other games, such as hop-scotch, hangman, and even board games like draughts/checkers and chess, where the chalk can be used to draw out the playing surface.
There is something that seems very old-fashioned about the idea of children spending time outside drawing pictures on a driveway or other suitable outside space using chalk, but even in the modern age, it’s an activity that many children will love. It’s also very cheap, and it’s a great way of getting your kids to express their creative side while learning to cooperate with each other and playing outdoors.
How Long Does It Take To Play? Outdoor chalk-drawing is a game that can take as little as a few minutes, or as long as several days (if you happen to live somewhere where you are likely to get a number of rain-free days in a row) as you child or children build and expand their creative endeavours to fill as much space as they have available to them to fill.
Ages: Three and older. This game can be plays as soon as your child is old enough to be able to both hold the chalk and be trusted not to consume it while you’re not looking!
Core Life Skills It Will Help Develop: Physical Skills – Hand-eye coordination; Critical Thinking Skills – Spatial planning; Intrapersonal Skills – Creativity; Interpersonal Skills – Playing and planning with others; cooperation.
Outdoor chalk-drawing can also be used to create characters and illustrate stories, and is perfect for creating your own cartoons.
What Do You Need To Play It? All you need to play this game is a box of chalk and a suitable outdoor space where you can legally draw on a hard surface (if in doubt about this last point, check with someone first as you don’t want your child to get into trouble for playing this game). The best chalk is jumbo coloured chalk such as the ones you can find here (for parents based in the UK) or here (for parents based in the USA). A digital camera is also useful, in case you child is keen to capture the fruits of their creativity for posterity.
Preparation: No preparation is required for this game.
How Do You Play It? This game is simple to play: hand your child a packet of chalk and let them start getting creative.
When And Where Can You Play It? This game can be played any time that the weather is suitable for spending time outside, and wherever there is a hard, dark surface on which your child is allowed to draw. Ideally, this will be your own driveway or patio, but if it is legal in your neighbourhood, it can also be the pavement or sidewalk, depending on whether you’re in the UK or the US. The latter option, if allowed, is particularly good for encouraging your child to interact with other children in the neighbourhood and work with them to create sprawling murals covering large areas.
About The Author: This post was written by Colin Drysdale, the creator of How To Raise A Happy Genius.
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