Childhood Learning – Mark Making Play With Sidewalk Chalk – Stain Glass Art

Looking for an outdoor activity to do with your children?  This activity involves using painter’s tape / craft tape and sidewalk chalk to color surfaces – a classic kids’ studio art that can wash off at any time.  

Here are some alternatives to using your driveway: using tires,  cardboard boxes, a wooden fence, old drums, patio deck, swing set, outdoor playhouse, bricks, cement blocks, the bottom of buckets, and the list goes on. 

How we did it:

• I taped a large rectangle area.
• Then tape from one point of the rectangle to the diagonal lower point – making 2 triangles (rectangle divided into two from point to point gives a triangle)
• My aim was to make many triangular patterns

• I kept taping 

• I tried making smaller triangles from the larger triangles

• When I was done, I double-checked to ensure I got triangles.  The photo above shows one area on the lower right side that needed another tape in between to form the triangle shape.

• When complete – I Invited the children to color.  To scaffold the children, I colored some areas alongside, when they saw the colored area, they got with coloring areas they wanted to color.  There were no set outcomes than for them to color and have fun.  I do not stress the need to color in the lines – no pressure just a happy moment of coloring and creating. (Wet chalks make creamier colored art) – add a little water to the bucket and that’s it. 

• Here the children are making their marks.  Mark making can be done on various surfaces. 

• They described their markings as dinosaurs, whales, and other animals.  

• She started to trace her feet then asked me to help her. 

• I traced her feet.

• Afterwhich she offered to trace mine.

• Here are our outlined feet

• “Miss Sue, look at my feet!”

• The children played and got chalk all over their bodies and clothes – messy play is never a worry of mine – because it washes off.  The important thing is how much the children enjoyed and learned with the play on hand.  They were present with the simple play of outdoor chalks and mark making.

• This play encompassed both fine and gross motor skills and movements – they ran, hopped, jumped, wrote, colored and their joints loved the movements. 

The day after

It rained the night and washed most of the chalk away, so in the early morning, I got up and shaded some areas.  

• My son Heru removed the tapes. 

• The tape was gone and the stained glass look appeared. 

• This is a visual of how I block my driveway with the cars for safe play in the front yard.  This is added note for daycare providers who fear using their front yard for play.

Disclosure – sidewalk chalk washes off.  My husband doesn’t mind the marks on the driveway.  In fact, it rained again a couple of days later and the remnants of chalk were washed away.

May you have fun and slow days with the children in your care – days when they are allowed to be wild and free children – the freedom.  ‘Play Freely with their Childhood Learning’ – xoxo Miss Sue