Things to Draw With Chalk – Easy and Fun Chalk Ideas
Art is not something only adults do in their studios alone. There is a way where the whole family can participate; all you need to do is find things to draw with chalk. If you need some ideas or suggestions on what to draw with chalk, we have provided more than enough to get the whole family involved!
Cool Outdoor Chalk Art Ideas for Kids
One of the fun things to draw with chalk that has remained popular is hopscotch, which can be easily done on your garden walkways, sidewalks, or driveways. So, if you have kids that are bored at home, grab a box of chalk, and let them start drawing. The possibilities on what to draw with chalk are endless and can be done by toddlers, preschoolers, older school children, and even adults. You are not confined to using only paper, as it can be done outside as well as inside on different surfaces.
Sidewalk Chalk Ideas
Sidewalk chalk ideas, which can also be done on your driveway, are a form of art that the kids will love. This is also a means for them to express themselves as it gives them a very large canvas to experiment on, enabling them to draw any image that comes into their heads.
Sidewalk chalk ideas are also very inexpensive, so get your chalk ready and head outside with the kids.
Fun Animal Chalk Drawings
This is an activity that the kids will love and enjoy. The beauty of it all is that it takes less than ten minutes to create. They love watching how you move the chalk all around their bodies while they pretend to become the animal you are creating, and if it does not rain for a few days, the drawings will still be around for them to interact with.
Here are some chalk drawing ideas of animals that you can draw for them, a frog, a butterfly, a bird, a snake, a shark, an elephant, a spider, a dinosaur, and any other animal you want to create. Below you have a short explanation of what you need to do.
- You allow the child to choose the animal they would like to become, or you can create a surprise animal for them.
- Let the child lie down on the driveway, or sidewalk in such a position that would match the image they have in their heads.
- The child must now lie very still, and you take a piece of chalk and draw all around their bodies.
- Before the child gets up, take a photo of what they look like. They can then see themselves within the picture of the animal you have created.
- The child can get up and see the picture you drew around them. They can then help you color it with some chalk, and take another photo of the completed picture.
Chalk Scavenger Hunt
You can make this into an event that involves the surrounding neighborhood. Get a few neighbors and then assign each family a picture that needs to be drawn on the sidewalk. The image needs to be quite big, so it can be seen from a short distance. You will need to choose a few days that are not rainy, as you do not want the chalk to wash away. This is important as each family is also given about two days to complete their drawings. Each household is then emailed or provided a checklist on the day of the treasure or scavenger hunt.
Each drawing is on the checklist and must be ticked off as you find the chalk image on the pavement. You can simply do this for fun, but you can also have a competition to see who does it in the fastest time.
Learning and Drawing Activities With Chalk
Not only is drawing with chalk fun for the kids but can also help with learning. It is a great way to build your child’s creativity and fine motor skills. Not only is there no cleaning up afterward, but it is also easy to clean off their skin and clothes, making it a non-messy medium for writing and art projects.
During the summer break, we often want to use the time to teach our kids about words and letters. However, for the kids, it is not much fun sitting indoors and working with some or other workbooks. How about taking them outside and letting them learn by using chalk on the sidewalk, driveway, or even the patio? They will be enjoying themselves so much, it will not even feel like learning. Below are a few chalk drawing ideas.
Rainbow Chalk Tracing
One activity is rainbow chalk tracing, which is an excellent way to get your child to learn how to write letters. Take a piece of white chalk and write whatever you want your child to learn, from upper to lower case letters. An easy example would be to write their name. Now get them to trace over the letters with different colors, and they will soon see a rainbow forming. You can also let the kids go around the garden and collect stones, small rocks, leaves, grass, or anything else they can find. Then let them place the items they have found on the driveway or sidewalk. They can then trace around the item with their chosen color of chalk.
Once done, let them color with different colors of chalk that are a close match to the actual item they found.
Hide and Seek
Another activity they can get involved with is the animal, hide and seek game. For this game to work, you need to first cut out pictures of different animals. Now draw a few rectangular blocks on the driveway or sidewalk, and then write the name of different animals in the blocks. Let the kids try to match the pictures to the words in the different blocks.
Number Dice Match
What a brilliant way to teach your kids about numbers, counting, and math, without them even realizing they are doing sums and having fun at the same time. Take some chalk and the kids outside, then draw two columns next to each outer. Divide the columns into six divisions on the driveway or sidewalk. Using the chalk, write the numbers from one to six in one column and then draw six different dice in the other column, each one showing the dots from one to six, but make sure they are all mixed up.
Now get the kids to match the numbers on one column with the correct dots in the other column.
Sidewalk Dash
This game is meant for slightly older kids who can do simple math equations. Using different colored chalk, draw several squares on the sidewalk or driveway. Now write down different math equations in the squares. Let the kids begin to answer each problem and write the answer in the squares. After they finish, you can check their answers and if they have made some mistakes, they need to go back and start from the beginning until they have found and fixed them.
Shape Hopscotch
This is a fun outdoor game for all ages from toddlers to school-going kids. It is easy to set up and play, and a great way to get the kids outdoors. Take your sidewalk chalk and select a spot on the driveway or sidewalk. You can then start drawing several shapes in a line, similar to regular hopscotch. Find some small smooth stones for each child and color them different colors, one for each child. Then get them to throw their stones and start hopping.
The idea is for them to name each shape as they go. If you are dealing with toddlers, get them to jump onto the shape, and you can name it for them.
Anatomy Lesson With Chalk
Now it is time for you to teach them all about science. Get the child to lie on the driveway or sidewalk and draw an outline of their body shape with a piece of chalk. Then you can draw all the major body organs in the right place, and let the kids name them. Alternatively, you can write the body parts next to their outline and let the kids draw lines to the place where they think those organs belong.
Giant Chalk Art Town
You first need to select a large oblong-shaped paving tile or several tiles that are joined together. You can also draw a large oblong shape on your driveway. It needs to be big enough for the kids to play inside the borders. All you need is some sidewalk chalk and a few toy cars. In the center of your border draw an oval shape, taking up most of the inside space. Now you and your kids can begin drawing with your chalk. All around the oval shape, you can start drawing different shapes, like a church, a house, a farm, a police station, a school, a hospital, and some trees. It does not matter how it may look, you are all there to have some fun.
Once you have finished outlining your buildings, it is time to start adding some color. Use different colored chalk for the buildings and trees. Then in the middle where you started with the oval shape, draw a road with black chalk and yellow lines.
Now your giant art town is ready for the kids to enjoy. Bring out the toy cars and let them race around the track. Please remember that this project may take a little longer than usual, so ensure you bring some drinks and snacks for the kids, especially if it is hot weather.
Use Sidewalk Chalk for Blending Colors
By using sidewalk chalk, you can very easily teach your kids how to blend colors. However, you can make it simple and fun to do. You can do this by drawing an ice cream cone on the driveway or sidewalk. Start with the cone by drawing a triangle, and from there, just add scoops of different colored ice cream.
This will be great fun for the kids, and it also helps with fine motor skills.
Cool Indoor Chalk Art Ideas for Kids
Not all chalk drawing ideas are meant for outdoors, and many easy chalk ideas can be done indoors. So, if you are unable to take your kids outside to do some easy chalk drawings, then we have the answer below.
Play School
When a friend comes over to play, why not let them “play school” and draw or write on chalkboards or even separate chalk slates? Let them take turns in being the teacher and the student, and you can give them certain assignments to complete.
It is a good idea to buy your child a good strong easel and a chalkboard and encourage them to draw and write on the board.
Drawing With Wet Chalk
Place a small dish with water on the table and let the child dip the chalk in the water. Begin to color or write on a piece of paper. The wet chalk forms a type of paint and leaves you with a brighter and smoother finish than ordinary dry chalk. The best type of paper to use is construction paper because it is coarse enough to be used for chalk drawings. Dark blue or black paper is ideal for drawing night scenes, and they can have a lot of fun with the black and contrasting colors.
Drawing With Water and Chalk
Another option is to use watercolor paper and get the kids to draw pictures on it using chalk. Take a small paintbrush, dip it in some water, and begin to paint over the picture lines.
The result of this type of chalk drawing is very similar to art using watercolors.
Chalk Rubbings
Use some items that have texture, such as coins, leaves, small stones, or keys, and place some copy paper or newsprint over the items. Take a piece of chalk and get the kids to rub over the concealed items, leaving the pattern of the leaf, coin, or keys on the paper.
Dot-to-Dot Chalk Drawing
Take a chalkboard and draw an image using dots and then number the dots in ascending order till you arrive at the starting point again. Now get the kids to take some chalk and join the dots until they have completed the drawing. They can then start to color the image with different colored chalk pieces.
Making Permanent Masterpieces
One of the major setbacks with creating easy chalk drawings is that they are not permanent and can easily be rubbed off by accident. So, if you want to preserve those precious drawings on paper, take an aerosol can of hairspray and lightly spray over the chalk drawing.
Cool Chalk Art Ideas for Adults
Chalk drawing is not only for kids, but adults and beginners can also have fun. Many professional artists use chalk as their medium. You may have seen some of those stunning photos of pavement or sidewalk chalk art done by professionals. Maybe you would like to try some easy chalk drawing ideas on the driveway? Here are some easy chalk drawings to get you started.
A Flower Chalk Sidewalk Idea
Collect a few different types of flowers from your garden, lay them down on the driveway or sidewalk, and begin to sketch the outline of the flower. Include the stem and most of the details. Now you can add the colors of the flower.
You can begin with the yellow center and then add in other colors. Remember, you need to take pictures of what you have done.
Stained Glass Chalk Idea
The stained-glass chalk drawing is truly amazing, as you can visually create all the amazing colors on your own driveway. You can start by drawing different shapes and sizes that fit neatly together by using a gray or white piece of chalk. When you think you have created enough shapes, you can start to fill in using different colors. Make sure the colors are vibrant and bright, so they stand out.
Halloween Chalk Drawings
There are hundreds of ideas when it comes to Halloween drawings. One that has a lot to offer is the scary skeleton, which can also be funny at the same time. This is a project that can be done by anyone even if you are new to this type of art. Just draw a skeleton, and then you can add many more spooky vibes, like spiders, monsters, ghosts, and much more.
Try this chalk drawing using glow-in-the-dark chalk, which will add that added special effect.
Chalk Mandala Drawing
This type of chalk art may sound a bit difficult for beginners but taking it step-by-step is easy and quick to do. As Mandala is the word for circle in Sanskrit, this is the shape you will be using throughout the process. Choose a large enough space on your driveway or sidewalk that will be able to contain the size of the Mandala you want to draw.
Now take a piece of string that is the length of the radius of the circle you want to draw. Tie the string to a piece of chalk, and by holding one end of the string in the center, draw a circle with the chalk. You can then continue to draw smaller circles and draw lines from the center of one circle to another. Now start to fill in the colors you want to use, starting from the center and working outwards until you are finished.
Coffee Shop Menu Chalk Art
Instead of having a printed menu to hand out to the clients that come into your coffee shop, why not use a chalkboard slate, and draw the menu on the slate? It can be fun as you can draw any type of figure, and picture.
It is easy to delete an item you want to remove or add an item you want to include.
3-D Chalk Art
3-D chalk drawings are also referred to as sidewalk chalk drawings, sidewalk art, street painting, pavement art, or anamorphic street painting. This type of chalk art is fun as well as interactive and can provide amazing and dazzling effects. However, it needs to be done by skilled artists with the correct tools. Most chalk artists use professional-quality pastel chalk because they have bright and vibrant colors, as well as a large range of hues. As a beginner, you may want to try drawing a simple hole in the ground and shading it to give the 3-D effect, this could be fun for the whole family, even if the results are not perfect. Start simple and work your way to more challenging designs.
If you and your family love drawing with chalk but are finding it difficult to know where to start, we hope these chalk drawing ideas have given you some inspiration. All the above easy chalk ideas or chalk drawing ideas can be practiced and enjoyed whether you are a beginner or even a professional!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is Chalk Drawing Important for Children?
Writing and drawing with chalk supports the muscles in the fingers and hands, increases hand-eye coordination, helps with emotional release, and also helps to develop fine motor skills. Apart from everything, it is also fun to do!
What Is Wet Chalk Drawing?
Wet chalk drawing is when the chalk is dipped into some water. The result gives a different texture when it dries, making the lines softer and thicker. With this technique, children can learn how to blend colors and create new designs by using a paintbrush.
How Long Will Chalk Drawings Last?
To give you a rough idea, sidewalk chalk ideas and drawings should last for five to ten days if it is left untouched. However, if the weather changes, the chalk drawing could be washed away with the rain. However, there have been some chalk drawings that have lasted as long as one month.
Matthew Matthysen is an educated multidisciplinary artist and illustrator. He successfully completed his art degree at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, majoring in art history and contemporary drawing. The focus of his thesis was to explore the philosophical implications of the macro and micro-universe on the human experience. Matthew uses diverse media, such as written and hands-on components, to explore various approaches that are on the border between philosophy and science.
Matthew organized various exhibitions before and during his years as a student and is still passionate about doing so today. He currently works as a freelance artist and writer in various fields. He also has a permanent position at a renowned online gallery (ArtGazette) where he produces various works on commission. As a freelance artist, he creates several series and successfully sells them to galleries and collectors. He loves to use his work and skills in various fields of interest.
Matthew has been creating drawing and painting tutorials since the relaunch in 2020. Through his involvement with artincontext.org, he has been able to deepen his knowledge of various painting mediums. For example, watercolor techniques, calligraphy and lately digital drawing, which is becoming more and more popular.
Learn more about Matthew Matthysen and the Art in Context Team.