Chalk... a stick of originally white porous sedimentary carbonate rock. A form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. It gets on our fingers and clothes and now , a popular children's "toy" available in a rainbow of colors for children to play with each summer.
Such a scientific description for a whole lot of potential FUN!
A piece of chalk. Nothing fancy or complicated. However, a single piece of chalk can open a large variety of play opportunities for children that can provide hours of fun, laughter and even learning! Add a few pieces of colored chalk and the opportunities burst open with unlimited possibilities!
Remember, PLAY is a child's work. It is how they learn. It helps them grow physically, mentally, socially, emotionally and cognitively.
Here are a few ideas.
- Lay down on the cement and trace around your body. Add facial features, hair, clothes, etc.
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| Best Friends - Photo by Hidden Splendor |
- Using only dots, draw a simple outline of a familiar object (tree, house, flower, car, etc.) . Let the kids connect the dots to find out the resulting picture.
- Free draw pictures.
- Draw ovals on the sidewalk and let children fill in the "heads" with eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hair, etc.
- Trace around objects found in the yard. Examples: leaves, flowers, sticks, rocks, etc.
- Become part of a picture. Then take a photo of people becoming part of the total design.
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| "Up, Up and Away" Hidden Splendor |
- Traditional Hopscotch- With chalk, draw a hopscotch board on the sidewalk. One color can be used or a combination. Let your imagination go wild! (Hopscotch can be created inside using the blue painters masking tape on the floor or carpet. Remove the tape when you are finished playing.) Players take turns tossing a marker onto a numbered square. Where it lands is where you hop to. Numbers( 2,3), (5,6), (8,9) use both feet down on the ground at the same time. All other squares use just one hopping foot. Markers can be a favorite stone, bean bag, rolled up sock, a small chain, etc.
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| created by Hidden Splendor |
- Put a twist on the normal hopscotch. Make the jumping design into a snail.
- Idea: Bean bags can be created using old shoulder pads sewn together and filled with beans or rice.
Shoulder pad, bean bags created by Hidden Splendor
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| Snail Hop Scotch - photo by Hidden Splendor |
- Another twist to hopscotch: Perform the action listed on where the marker lands. Ideas: twirl, touch your toes, roar and stomp, meow like a cat, bark like a dog and "wag" your tail, smile standing on one foot, hop like a rabbit, etc.
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| Hop Scotch Action Adventure - Photo by Hidden Splendor |
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| Walk of Action - photo by Hidden Splendor |
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| Meow like a Cat - photo by Hidden Splendor |
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| Roar & Stomp - photo by Hidden Spendor |
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| Touch Your Toes - photo by Hidden Splendor |
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| Land and Twirl - photo by Hidden Splendor |
- Create a scavenger hunt. Look for common items found wherever you are playing. This helps children become more observant. And who doesn't like a scavenger hunt?
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| Can you Find? Scavenger Hunt - photo by Hidden Splendor |
- Research animal footprints. Make trails on the sidewalk or driveway. Have fun following the trails. Act like the animal you are "following".
- Draw a four square game. All you need is four squares drawn and a large ball. ( You can make a four square court inside with masking tape. Remember to remove the tape when you are finished playing. My boys left home over ten years ago. We didn't remove the four square tape in the store room. It will be on the floor forever. yikes! Nice memories however! To learn the rules to play Four Square visit this site: http://www.squarefour.org/rules
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| created by Hidden Splendor |
- Create a rainbow!
- Draw lily pads and jump across the "pond" by only standing on the lily pads. You can do this by making stepping stones across a river as well. What other ideas do you have?
- Draw what you see around you - in front of you, behind, above, etc.
- Leave a message for .... ? someone coming home, the postal carrier, etc.
- Create a large maze and drive through the maze with bikes/tricycles, hot wheels, or walk on foot.
- Trace different shapes from patterns pre-made with card board ( cereal or food box fronts make great card board to create patterns.)
- Play Tic Tac Toe - for directions visit this site: http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Tic-Tac-Toe
- Recreate your neighborhood. Draw your house, your street, your neighbor's houses, grocery store, parks, etc. Then using toy cars, take a drive around the neighborhood. This is a great way to familiarize a child with their community and may be of assistance if they get lost.
- Practice writing numbers or the alphabet.
