I have been thinking so much lately about my desire to get back to that art of living simply. I want my little ones off of those screens (that seem to creep in out of nowhere) and outside truly enjoying their childhood!
So I have been thinking of fun, classic activities to get those little ones of mine out the door. One thing I used to play with all the time outside was with sidewalk chalk. I love sidewalk chalk games for kids!
Sure enough, there are LOADS of chalk games for my kids to enjoy this summer. I thought, perhaps, your little ones might enjoy some of these sidewalk chalk activities too.
Here are some creative and easy ways for kids to play with chalk games outside:
Hopscotch – Who doesn’t think of hopscotch when they first hear sidewalk chalk games? This fun and simple classic provides opportunities to practice jumping, balancing, throwing, taking turns and number recognition. Learn With Play at Home also provides a quick refresher on the rules of hopscotch for those of us who haven’t played in a few decades. Decades . . .
Twister – This classic game will be sure to keep your little ones moving and giggling while practicing to identify left and right as well as colours. Danya at Danya Banya mentions some great considerations for drawing your “Twister board” based on the age of the kiddos playing and depending on how far they can stretch. If you are working on shapes or numbers, you can change the traditional Twister rows of red, blue, yellow and green circles into rows of triangles, circles, squares and hearts or rows of 1’s, 2’s, 3’s and 4’s.
Rock Formations (Letters and Numbers) – Need some quiet time outside? We love using buttons and popsicle sticks indoors with our Quiet Bins to help with letter and number formation. Why not search for a handful of rocks and take this quiet, learning activity outside? The Preschool Toolbox shares a few more activities you can do with rocks and chalk.
Sorting Scavenger Hunt By Formula Mom – Draw a few circles on the ground in different colours and send your kiddos off to find as many objects of each colour around your yard. You can lay out some objects in hiding in advance or leave it to nature. For those that need a little competition, the one to collect the most, or a certain amount the fastest can be the winner. For a twist, you can also sort between soft and rough objects, heavy and light, big and small etc.
Hot Lava By What Moms Love – Spark some active and imaginative play with this fun game. Draw a few random shapes scattered throughout your driveway and challenge your kids to jump from shape to shape without “touching the hot lava.” Stuffed animals can also be tossed ahead to safety or be placed at random shapes for some dramatic “saving scenes.”
Playing With Lines – So much fun can be had by drawing a few simple lines on your driveway. Challenge your littles to a jumping contest and see you who can jump the farthest. Explore if jumping on one foot or with a running start helps you jump farther. Alternatively, draw a long winding pathway or random curves and zig-zags and see if your child can follow it by running, walking or hopping. What Mom’s Love shares some additional creative ways to use lines in chalk games.
Don’t these games want you to run outside and grab the sidewalk chalk?! Try to remember to bring the kids with you. These are classic memory makers. I want to FILL my little ones childhood’s with sidewalk chalk games!
This summer I will be focusing on the simple classics – just like these sidewalk chalk games for kids. I will be writing all about our fun, so be sure to visit often. You can even sign up below to receive my weekly updates!
Thank you so much for reading friends,
xo
Sarah
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