Drawing with sidewalk chalk is a basic summer activity that is super easy and fun for kids. I love going outside and drawing with my children and creating really neat pictures. It's also really interesting to watch the drawings change over time as I watch my children grow and mature. Last year the drawings where very erratic and pretty much scribbles with a few distinct shapes. Now my oldest is drawing family portraits, animals and the alphabet. Even my youngest who is now over a year old likes to grab chalk and draw little lines.
There are plenty of times where we go out and don't really know what to draw because we have done so much already. My daughter will constantly ask me what she should draw or do so we started to get a little creative with some new drawings. Instead of just doodling pictures why not make something that is interactive like this play city? Once it's done there are so many different games and things your child can do with it. My oldest was so excited to try this one and now that it washed away in the rain she keeps asking to make another one.
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Need chalk to get started? Check out this set on Amazon. They come in beautiful bright colors, are washable and non-toxic for kids!
Start with the roads
The easiest way to start is by mapping out the road for your city. We made the road about 1.5 feet wide so it was big enough to ride a small tricycle through. Make small dashes throughout to create a more 'realistic' looking road for your child.
Add some buildings and locations
After the road is done then it's time to add buildings and locations. Pick places your child likes or where they have been to make it more relatable to them. We drew a basic school, library, zoo, the beach and houses including ours and the grandparents.
Now that your city is all set up it's time to start playing! Here are a few fun ways to play with your creation and really let your child use their imagination.
1.) Play Postal Worker
My daughter absolutely loves playing this one. I'm pretty sure it's her favorite and she doesn't seem to get sick of it. Now there are a few different options for the actual 'mail' your child can use. If you don't have any play mail then you can easily make some. I used a standard cereal box and was able to make 5 letters and even 1 package out of it. Just use scissors to cut pieces in various shapes and sizes. Then use whatever materials you have to decorate including paint, markers, stickers or stamps. You could also use empty envelopes but I would put a penny or two inside to weight them down just a bit so they do not blow away easily in the wind.
To carry everything your child can use a small bag or basket. If you have a small purse that could work great as a mail bag. My daughter (even though she is a little too big for it now) insisted on using her old tricycle which has a little compartment in the back which worked very well for holding the mail.
2.) Scavenger Hunt
This one can change depending on what you added to your city. Add plenty of details to your project so there's a lot to work with. Ask your child to find certain items or find colors throughout the city. You can even make it into a fun math lesson by drawing several items that are the same and having your child count them. Draw something like butterflies all throughout the city and let your little one run around counting to see how many there are.
Here are some other things you can have your child search for:
Fire-hydrants
Windows
Animals
Cars
Trees
Stop Lights/ Signs
Mailboxes
People
3.) Pizza or Food Delivery
This one involves grabbing some play food from your child's play kitchen. Have a restaurant and create different take out dishes. You can use a small cardboard box, shoe box, buckets or baskets to hold the food.
If you use cardboard you can take it a step further and decorate the box and create a restaurant for your child. Have your little chef put the meals together in the boxes and then delivery them throughout the city to their customers.
Check out this set of toy food from Learning Resources. We have this set and it's so durable! There's a great variety of foods and they're super cute.
4.) Pretend Play Day
For this activity give your child a list of errands or places they need to go and then they can pretend play throughout the city. Make sure the list is easy to follow and very direct so they do not become confused. You can either write the list down if your child is starting to read or simply tell them 2 or 3 things to do at a time. This can help with developing their memory and management skills.
Some examples of tasks could be:
1) Go to School
2) Visit the Library and pick out a book
3) Go to the grocery store to buy some food
4) Play at the park
5) Visit the zoo and look at animals
6) Meet a friend at the restaurant for dinner
You can use simple props from the house to go along with these tasks. Use whatever books, toys or stuffed animals you have that will fit the activity for some added fun. If you don't have something you can always make it with some recycled cardboard and creativity.
What did you think of these chalk-city ideas? Did you try any with your kids and which activities did you do? Leave a comment below and don't forget to subscribe for more fun kid activities.