Sidewalk Chalk Paint

 

Spring time is pounding on the door, and I love the sound. Today I've spent at least an hour outside with the boys. Just running around and enjoying the 80 degree weather here in Ohio. Being from Ohio, I know this isn't normal, but that's no reason to ignore it, you soak up every second and pray snow doesn't show up in May! One thing I want to do with the boys (which I know might make the neighbors upset but that's OK) is to make some sidewalk chalk paint and let them go to town with it. We live in town homes, its a small complex but our one set of neighbors aren't fans of kids. I didn't know it was possible to not enjoy the sounds of them laughing and playing but oh well. Anyways, I wanted to share a fun and easy way to make it. Thanks to Apartment Therapy, this is quick, simple and easy to clean up, a moms dream. I'm excited to see how many hours my boys spend doing this!

Not Enough Water: You shouldn't feel any drag from the cornstarch, but it shouldn't be too liquidy either. There's a fine line that once you start mixing will become quickly obvious. We used a different color here than we did outside, but you get the idea right?

Perfect Consistency: It should pour off a spoon and not leave a layer of cornstarch sludge at the bottom of the bowl or cup. Once you mix up a few batches you'll soon know exactly what we're talking about!

Painting Tools: We used silicone basting brushes this time around, although in the past we've used foam brushes with far greater success. The silicone cleaned up in a snap and was ok for some things, but didn't provide quite enough drag (although that didn't stop us, fingers work just fine as well!).

Clean Up: The best part about the whole process is the easy clean up. It simply washes free of dishware and utensils, concrete will wash clean if left for up to a week (we've never tested it for longer than that), and most clothing shouldn't have a problem. Upon returning in, we usually rinse anything that obtained "paint" on it in the warmest water the fabric can handle or pre-treat with a stain fighter (we like Shout). We usually wear play clothes so it's never much of a worry to begin with!

Have Fun!: This is a great time for 1 or for 100. It can be used for everything from birthday get togethers, sleep overs, or signs painted on the driveway or street (Happy Birthday, Welcome Home, exc). It does also work on concrete and masonry walls, although it will need to be washed off with a hose and not left up to the rain to remove.