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Make Sidewalk Chalk Paint the Easy Way!

This three-ingredient sidewalk chalk paint is a blast for kids! Learn how to make it – you probably have everything on hand. This sidewalk paint is such a fun summer activity!

Skills Required: None. Even if you’ve never crafted before, you can do this project. You’re going to use equal parts of two ingredients and one other. It’s simple.

Enjoy the video in this post that shows you how to make this cool paint.

DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

I don’t know about you, but when I was young, sidewalk chalk was a full-time job during summer. We’d spend hours on our designs, only to have them washed away when the seasonal rains would come. Then we’d start the process all over again! It was one of our favorite summer crafts for kids.

I wanted to try the same thing with my niece, but we didn’t have any chalk, so I went for a recipe that’s been around since I was little: sidewalk chalk paint. With three ingredients. That you probably already have in your kitchen!

Yep, you can make your own sidewalk paint, and it’s really easy to do. Given the ingredients, this washable paint is completely safe for kids, as well as non-toxic. It’s also incredibly easy to make, so the kids can even do it themselves!

Sidewalk chalk paint

FAQs on Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Before we dive into the sidewalk chalk paint recipe, let me address a few things you might be wondering about.

Will it Wash off of the Kids/Sidewalk?

It will definitely wash off of children’s skin, though the food coloring might stick around until the next bath time or two. I recommend that kids wear clothing that can get dirty, since (depending on the food coloring you use) you might have some light spots.

As far as the sidewalk, we left our drawings out for three days (just because that is how long it took to rain). They washed off easily!

I know most new driveways and sidewalks get a coating, so washing off shouldn’t be a problem 99% of the time. If your concrete is particularly old or porous, I’d do a test in a small area before the kids go hog wild.

Application Methods

You can use just about anything to apply this sidewalk paint! I recommend paintbrushes (of all sizes), foam brushes, sponges – you can even use this recipe in spray bottles.

I think it would be fun to cut sponges into “stamps” of sorts and use the chalk paint that way. We’ll have to try that next time!

Triangles painted with sidewalk paint

Make it Without Cornstarch

If you don’t want to use cornstarch, there are two other options you can try to make this paint. The first is using actual sidewalk chalk! You can crush it up in a baggie and then mix it with water. It’s fun for kids who want to paint instead of draw.

The other option is to use flour. You should add twice as much water than flour if you choose to go that route.

This option works but I don’t like it as much as the sidewalk chalk paint recipe below – it’s just more clumpy and not as easy to apply. But desperate times call for desperate measures if you don’t have cornstarch.


Are you ready for the sidewalk chalk paint recipe and how-to? Your kids are going to get hooked on this boredom buster. Keep on reading!

Gather These Supplies

Makes about 2 cups

  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup water
  • Food coloring
  • Mini bowls or a muffin tin
  • Supplies for painting
  • Paint brush
How to make sidewalk chalk paint

You’re ready to use your sidewalk paint! Just paint it on exactly where you want it. The chalkiness becomes more and more apparent as it dries, and then it looks like the above. It really works great!

Double or triple or quadruple the recipe as necessary.

Drawing of a girl with sidewalk paint

And have fun painting all sorts of designs! And then when the rain comes – you start over again, just like you did when you were little. You can also wash off using a garden hose.

Yield: 2 cups paint

Sidewalk Chalk Paint

How to make sidewalk chalk paint

Learn how to make chalk paint with kids - this is such a fun summer craft! Use the paint on the sidewalk; it washes away with the rain.

Prep Time 2 minutes
Active Time 3 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $1

Materials

  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup water
  • Food coloring

Tools

  • Mini bowls
  • Paintbrushes

Instructions

  1. Add the cornstarch to a large bowl.Cornstarch in a bowl
  2. Place the water in the bowl and stir.Water added to cornstarch and being stirred in a bowl
  3. Separate the mixture into smaller bowls and add food coloring. Swirl the ingredients until combined.Stirring the food coloring into the cornstarch mixture
  4. Apply the paint to the sidewalk using brushes. Colors will deepen as the paint dries.Mixing the chalk paint colors in the bowls

Did you make this project?

Please leave a rating or share a photo on Pinterest!


The kids are absolutely going to love this sidewalk paint summer activity! If you enjoyed this post, take a peek at these other crafts kids will love trying when they get bored:

Random person

Thursday 22nd of April 2021

1 cup of Corn Starch 1. Place baking soda into container? (Wheres the corn starch?)

Amy

Thursday 22nd of April 2021

Thank you for the call out! I meant "cornstarch" in the instructions too. Fixed!

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