Sidewalk Chalk Games
How to Play Hopscotch
The first player tosses her marker into the first square. The marker must land completely within the designated square and without touching a line or bouncing out. If the marker lands in the wrong square, the player forfeits her turn. If the marker is successful, the player hops through the court beginning on square one. Side by side the squares are straddled, with the left foot landing in the left square, and the right foot landing in the right square. Single squares must be hopped on one foot. For the first single square, either foot may be used. Squares marked “Safe” “Home” or “Rest” are neutral squares, and may be hopped through in any manner without penalty.
When a player reaches the end of the court, she turns around and hops back through the court, moving through the squares in reverse order and stopping to pick up her marker on the way back. Upon successfully completing the sequence, the player continues his turn by tossing his marker into square number two, and repeating the pattern.
If while hopping through the court in either direction, the player steps on a line, misses a square, or loses her balance, her turn ends. The player starts on her next turn where the player last left off. the first player to complete one course for every numbered square on the court wins the game.
Tic Tac Toe
Draw the 9-square grid for the game. Each player alternates between writing an “X” or an “O” in a square until someone gets a line of three in a row horizontally, vertically or diagonally. The game can also played with different colored stones instead of writing the Xs and Os.
Four Square
Draw a four-square grid in the driveway at least 6 feet across. Number each square one through four. Have a child stand in each box. The child in square four serves by bouncing the ball in his box and tapping it into another square without touching any lines. The player in that box must allow the ball to bounce once and then tap it into another square without touching a line, and so on. If someone misses the ball, causes it to hit the line or allows it to bounce twice, the play ends, and that person steps out of the box. The child in square four serves the ball again, and play continues until all players are eliminated.
Snail Hopscotch
This game is a lot of fun! Draw a large circle (about 12 inches) on the ground and then draw a very large spiral board on the concrete starting at the circle and spiraling out to look like a snails shell. The spirals of the snail shell need to be about 8 – 12″ apart. Make 3 or 4 large spirals around the center circle. Divide the spirals into spaces about 12 – 14″ apart and number them. The first player hops on one foot from the center circle to the outside and back. If they make it without stepping of a line or losing their balance they can use sidewalk chalk to mark ANY space they want with their initials. No one is able to jump on that space the rest of the game. The next player must hop on one foot from the center and back but must jump over the space that is marked with initials. If they make it then they may write their initials on any square they choose. This is a simple game, but it gets crazy when kids have to hop all the way across the board to an empty space near the end of the game. The person with the most initialed squares wins.
Body Outline Trace
Have the kids lay down in different positions on the concrete and then draw around their shapes. Then let them fill and color the outline with their face, features and clothes. Give them a theme such as beach, formal, summer day, winter day, farmers, etc.
Masterpiece
Print out several pictures of different famous art masterpieces that have simple lines and shapes. Give each child a different masterpiece and ask them to make a bigger version of the art with their sidewalk chalk. After they are finished take a picture with the original artwork in the picture. Variation: Chalk out a large rectangle and then divide it into 4, 6 or 8 equal parts. Cut the art picture into as many pieces as you divided the rectangle into and assign each art piece with a part of the rectangle. Have the children draw one part of the masterpiece. When they are done take a picture and see how close they came to the original.
Stencils
Make or buy stencils of different sizes and shapes. Have the kids place the stencil on the ground and color in the stencil.
Trace Shapes
Use cardboard shapes you’ve cut out in different shapes or have the kids trace around objects such as buckets, hoses, chairs, boxes, etc.
Eraser
Have the children color in a large rectangle (4 x 6 feet) with different colors of sidewalk chalk. Then fill small squirt bottles with water and place the nozzle to “stream”. Let the kids spray the rectangle with water to create a picture.
Box Out
This game is simple enough for younger children and can also challenge older kids as they learn to use strategy to win. Draw a very large square about 10 feet x 10 feet. Divide the large square into a grid 10 spaces wide x 10 spaces deep. You can make the initial large square smaller, but the grid spaces need to be big enough for kids to stand inside them. Give each player a piece of chalk and assign them a corner to start. The first player will move to a connecting square and then cross out the square that they came from with their color chalk. Players take turns moving from one square to the next crossing out boxes as they go. After a box is crossed out no one can step in that box again for the entire game. If a player is stuck and cannot move they must forfeit their turn. The winner is the one who can move last after all the players are “stuck”. Use the same grid over and over by using an X to cross out the squares for the first round, an O for the second round and color in the square for the third game.
Human Board Game
Draw a large game board on the ground using sidewalk chalk and the kids are the playing pieces and move themselves around the board. Start by drawing a giant size oval or rectangle game board. Divide the game board into pieces that are large enough for kids to stand in. In some of the spaces write instructions on what they have to do when they land on that space. Some fun examples are: Move back 3 spaces, Jump up and down until your next turn, Go ahead 2 spaces, Cluck like a chicken until your next turn, Dance in your square until your next turn, Sing “Happy Birthday”, Change places with any player, Go back to Start, Go to any square on the board, etc. You can use regular dice or decorate a large square box with construction paper to use as the die.
Portraits
Have the children draw portraits of each other with their sidewalk chalk. When they are done have them draw frames around their pictures and/or have the object of the portrait lay down next to their portrait and take a picture.
My View
Have the children draw pictures of what is right in front of them – a picture of their house, car, backyard, street, etc.
Bug Parade
Draw pictures of a bug parade. Draw large ladybugs, grasshoppers and beetles one right after the other like they are parading across the sidewalk.
Flower Garden
Draw a huge flower garden with different colors of large flowers, leaves, bugs, worms, etc.
City Map
Draw a picture of your city using sidewalk chalk. Include your house, streets and landmarks that the kids are familiar with in your town.
Yard Map
Have the kids draw a bird’s eye view of your backyard with their sidewalk chalk. Include the shape of their house, car, swing set, bushes, sidewalk, etc.
Treasure Map
Draw a sidewalk chalk treasure map. Let the kids draw a treasure map of the yard and how to get to a hidden treasure using broken chalk lines on the map. After they draw the map let them hide a small treasure for other children to find.
Under the Sea
Have everyone contribute to an under the sea picture. Include water, sand, underwater plants, fish, sharks, whales, starfish, waves, boats etc.
Sidewalk Chalk Rainbow
Use 7 colors of sidewalk chalk to draw a huge rainbow. Include a pot of gold at the end!
Sidewalk Chalk Maze
Draw a large maze on the ground that kids have to maneuver through on their bikes, scooters or on foot.
Target
Draw a large circle target of the ground with sidewalk chalk. Divide the circle into sections and give each section a point value. Draw a line about 7 feet from the target and have children throw bean bags or rocks onto the target. Tally up the score and the child with the most points after 3 round wins.
Connect the Dots
Draw a simple outline of a familiar object such as a tree, house, flower, etc. using only dots. Let the kids use sidewalk chalk to connect the dots and find out what picture the dots make.
Bounce Out
Draw a large rectangle about 2 feet wide and 10 feet long. Divide the rectangle into 5 equal sections – number the sections 1 – 5. Draw a line about two feet from the #1 section. Two players stand behind the line. One of the players takes a ball and tries to throw it so it bounces in the #5 space. After they throw the ball the other player races to the end of the rectangle and tries to catch the ball before it bounces in the square. If the first player successfully throws the ball so it bounces in the #5 square without touching a line or getting caught by the other player they get to try and throw the ball to the #4 square. When the first player misses mark which square they were in and then it is the other players turn to try. If the second player during a round catches the ball before it bounces in the square it becomes their turn.
Faces
Draw lots of oval shapes on the ground and let children fill in the heads with eyes, noses, hair, mouths, ears, hats, etc.
Footprints
Research several animals and find out what their paw prints look like. Using sidewalk chalk draw the footprints / paw prints so that they go up and down the driveway and sidewalks. Some fun animals footprints to draw are elephants, ducks, cats, horses and dinosaurs.
Lily pad Jump
Draw different sizes of green lily pads on the concrete making sure the distance between them are different distances apart. Ask kids to jump across the “pond” by only standing on the lily pads.
Artist Switch
Draw large rectangles on the ground ( draw as many as the number of children who will be playing)and give each child sidewalk chalk. Ask them to start drawing a picture in their space. Set a timer for 5 minutes and when time is up have the children rotate to another rectangle and have them draw on that space. Continue until all the artists have had a chance to color on all the rectangles.
Sidewalk Chalk Message
Draw a message with large letters to a family member or friend. Make a Mother’s or Father’s day card, birthday message or just a great way to say I love you. Remember to take a picture for your scrapbook. 🙂 One Line
Run
Players make one continuous line with side walk chalk and another player has to follow the line. The first player takes a piece of sidewalk chalk and begins to draw a continuous line with it making circles and squiggles as they go. The second player must try and follow the chalk line by walking or running on the line. Simple, but lots of fun!
Warning
Be sure to supervise kids outside at all times. If you live on a busy street, consider investing in a driveway safety net that will prevent kids from running into the street after stray balls. The net will also draw driver’s attention to children at play.
Bookmark this page for easy reference throughout the spring and summer!
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