Chalk can be a great way to mix things up in your classroom and add some bright colors. Chalk is ideal for inside and outside and can be used as a tool to help with learning, as well! Chalk fun can happen in a variety of ways and can aid in the practice of motor skills and sight word recognition. Grab a box of chalk and check out this list of 20 colorful ideas for elementary school.
1. Chalk Jellyfish Art
This beautiful piece of artwork is a great way to add a pop of color to your classroom. This fun piece of art is made using colored chalk on dark paper to really boost the vibrant colors. These ocean art projects could be changed to fit your theme.
Learn more: Projects With Kids
2. Create a Chalk Town
Find a blank piece of concrete and let little ones create their own tiny town, using chalk colors. Add in small cars, traffic lights, and stop signs to make this little town a bit more realistic. This will be a fun game that will allow imagination to run free.
Learn more: Empowered Parents
3. Chalk Simon
This is a twist on the classic game of Simon. Draw a Simon board on concrete and use it to help students learn and practice their colors. You can get their little bodies moving by having them run to certain colors, which will help them play an active game.
Learn more: Toddler Approved
4. Chalk-Made Hula Hoop Clock
Use a hula hoop to create a large clock on the concrete. Use chalk to create this giant chalk version of this telling time activity. Use sticks to create minute hands and hour hands to create this educational sidewalk chalk activity.
Learn more: Creekside Learning
5. Animal Stomp
Use color circles to create an animal jump. This is a great game to use if you want to work with motor skills. Students will enjoy seeing who has the farthest jump and who can count the highest, all while acting as their favorite animals!
Learn more: Modern Preschool
6. Name, Letter, and Word Recognition Splash
This game can be used to work on many, different types of skills. This basic sidewalk chalk idea is simply to write out letters, numbers, or words to help students practice recognition. Use these splash balls to throw as they recognize each word, letter, or number.
Learn more: Preschool Inspirations
7. Outdoor Math Game
Math is a great subject to be hands-on with learning! Write our math equations or word problems and have students solve the answers. This is a great way to have students show all their work and have plenty of space to show their thinking.
Learn more: Worth Writing For
8. Shadow Drawings
Shadow drawings are a fun way to let students trace and come up with fun drawings based on things that create shadows. They can color them or leave them as outlines. Encourage students to have creative juices flowing and turn these shadow drawings into more elaborate and detailed drawings.
Learn more: Happy Mom Hacks
9. Chalk Mazes
This maze is a fun activity to use on blacktop with sidewalk chalk. You could use chalk or chalk paint to create a fun maze that will challenge students to find their way from start to finish without hopping over lines. For an extra fun twist, use glow-in-the-dark chalk and try it at night! Add some letters to create an alphabet maze!
Learn more: The Pragmatic Parent
10. Seek and Find Game
Seek and find games are always fun but instead of looking in a book, this one allows students to get up and move! Leave a note of what to seek and find and allow children to move around the yard or outside area near the school to locate the items.
Learn more: S&S Blog
11. Constellation Mapping
Constellation mapping is so much fun! This is a fun project to do to help with encouraging students to be involved and learn more about space. This project can be tweaked to include what you want, but consider making a constellation book, or observation book, and then recreate the constellations.
Learn more: S&S Blog
12. Chalk and Sponge Target Practice
This target game can be great as a math resource. Use a chalk-drawn target to label with different numbers. Give students a wet sponge and have them toss it at the correct answer when you give them equations or fast facts. This could also be played with sight words.
Learn more: Super Healthy Kids
13. Chalk Stencil Art
Stencil art is an easy way to bring art into the classroom. Provide stencils and chalk for students to create masterpieces on dark paper or even on concrete. Students will enjoy using chalk as a different medium for creating valuable art for their collections.
Learn more: Buggy and Buddy
14. Chalk Clues in a Scavenger Hunt
Kids love scavenger hunts! They love looking for clues and becoming tiny detectives as they use critical thinking skills to solve problems and figure out the information they need. You can use curriculum from grades or you can create your own clues and base them on a common theme or content area.
Learn more: 18 Sidewalk Chalk Activities to Stop Summer Boredom
15. Chalk Number Rocks
For kids who love counting, this will definitely become a favorite educational sidewalk chalk game. Draw out circles with numbers inside and have students collect rocks or other small objects to fill the circle with the correct number of items. They can practice counting in each circle.
Learn more: 18 Sidewalk Chalk Activities to Stop Summer Boredom
16. Sidewalk Chalk Painting
Use chalk and water to paint on the sidewalk. Create a more hazy and muted version of the drawings by brushing a light coat of water over the paintings. These paintings are fun to leave on the sidewalk as inspiration for others. Let students leave messages with their pictures if they prefer.
Learn more: Happy Hooligans
17. Chalk Mosaics
Lay down some tape and let the mosaic fun begin! Provide different colored chalk and have students color in the different sections. Leave the tape down or pull it up to see the borders. Each mosaic will be different and unique. These will make beautiful decorations on your front sidewalk, inviting guests into your school.
Learn more: 18 Sidewalk Chalk Activities to Stop Summer Boredom
18. Color Match Up
This cute little color match game is quick and simple. Color in bricks on the sidewalk and have students find things that match that color. Students will enjoy the creative thinking that is needed for this game. Choose all the colors of the rainbow or just focus on the ones you are learning about at the time.
Learn more: Nurture Store
19. Nature Drawings
One of the most fun chalk activities is this animal drawing chalk fun! Use items from nature to create animals and other adorable drawings. Use the items you collect in creative ways, like a pinecone body or a set of twig legs. See who can create the most amazing drawing!
Learn more: The Craft Train
20. Sight Word Hopscotch
Sight word hopscotch is a great way to play a game that moves little bodies and exercises the mind by learning and practicing sight words. You could easily use this game as a review before a test, to practice reading these words in isolation, or to introduce the words.
Learn more: Inspirations for Moms
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