Spring is slowly making its way to Illinois, and we are embracing the warmer weather in our home childcare. While we love muddy puddles, our backyard has become quite the excavation site, thanks to our enthusiastic little diggers. My husband takes great pride in his grass (and I do want to stay happily married after 20 years!), so to prevent further erosion, we took our learning outdoors—but this time to the front yard.
our muddy backyard
Turning the Front Yard into an Outdoor Art Studio
Normally, when our backyard is too soggy for play or during the summer, we use our long driveway and front area as part of our outdoor classroom. Today was no different—I invited the children to a process art activity using homemade sidewalk chalk paint and natural loose parts.
children painting sticks outdoors
Making Our Own Paint
Indoors, the preschoolers mixed up a batch of homemade sidewalk chalk paint. The formula is simple: cornstarch, water, and food coloring. However, I can’t give you exact measurements because our little scientists eagerly scooped and poured—about two heaping tablespoons each of cornstarch and water, plus a few drops of food coloring. They added more water until the consistency was just right—thin enough to paint but not so runny that it lost its vibrancy. If your mixture starts to feel like oobleck, simply adjust by adding more water.
children making sidewalk chalk with cornstarch, water and food coloring
Once our paint was ready, we carried it outside, along with butcher paper and a collection of sticks gathered from a recent community walk. We arranged the sticks on the paper, and the children began painting, experimenting with different strokes, drips from the paintbrush, and blended colors. Some used paintbrushes, while others dipped the sticks into the paint and rolled them across the surface, creating unique patterns.
paint and stick invitation for children
Unexpected Discoveries in Process Art
After finishing their paintings, the children moved on to a game of hide-and-seek (or, as they call it, “sneak”). Meanwhile, the paint dried on the sticks, transforming into a chalky, dusty texture. When they returned, they noticed the dried paint could be rubbed off, leaving specks of color floating in the air.
children painting the sticks
“Miss Sue, look!” they exclaimed as they blended and smeared the chalky residue onto bricks, creating sidewalk art. Their excitement led to a whole new form of artistic exploration. The process of painting sticks evolved into discovering a new medium—chalk rubbings, which usually come from a stick of sidewalk chalk, not runny paint.
children painting stick with purple paint
Outdoor Learning Beyond the Backyard
As home childcare educators, we often rely on our backyards for outdoor play. Still, when conditions aren’t ideal, the front yard, driveway, or even a side area of your yard can provide a wonderful alternative. Our front yard often becomes the perfect open-air studio for creativity, free exploration, and sensory learning. I usually create an enclosure so the children cannot go beyond a certain point for safety. Whether you choose process art with homemade sidewalk chalk paint and natural loose parts like sticks—which allowed the children to engage deeply with the materials, fostering creativity and curiosity without rigid outcomes—or another activity, I hope you will use the warm season ahead to plan part of your days outdoors.
process art painting sticks with home made sidewalk chalk
Embracing Child-Led Learning and Flexibility
While we usually follow a routine, allowing flexibility when children are deeply engaged in discovery is important. Instead of calling them inside for lunch right away when the bell went off (my phone has an alarm for some of our transitions), I gave them extra time to explore this unexpected transformation of their artwork. Their hands may have been messy, but it was a different kind of mess—one that encouraged creativity, problem-solving, and sensory experiences.
remnants of their play after the wind tossed leaves on their art
Final Thoughts
This activity perfectly blended process art, nature-based learning, and outdoor exploration. It reinforced that learning doesn’t always have to happen in the same place—sometimes, shifting to a new environment opens up fresh opportunities for discovery. I’m grateful we have a front yard that supports our play and learning when the backyard isn’t an option.
So, to all home childcare providers: if your backyard is too muddy or soggy, don’t hesitate to make use of your front yard, driveway, or even sidewalks for creative, hands-on learning. Messy play, outdoor art, and process-based discovery can happen anywhere!
Miss Sue holding remnants of the chalk
Have you tried homemade sidewalk chalk paint with your childcare kiddos? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear about your outdoor art adventures!
Use your driveway if it is safe—know your children. If you have runners or darters, you may choose differently. Create a barrier so children cannot go beyond a marker. Challenge yourself to go beyond indoors, but if it stresses you out, then pull back.
Until next time, I am Miss Sue your educator in the trenches with you.
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our muddy backyard
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