what can we do with chalk?

My children are always grabbing our sidewalk chalk and drawing.  They use chalk much more often crayons and paper – maybe it’s something to do with the large scale of drawing with sidewalk chalk.  Here are some ideas of games or projects that you can create with chalk (I’m thinking mostly of sidewalk chalk) for when you are ready for something new.

• create a giant labyrinth to walk, instructions are at Kiddley
• draw a target to practise throwing
• play hopscotch.  This squidoo lens on Hop Scotch Games for Family Fun has some great patterns to try.
• draw a portrait.  Have your child lay down and draw around them.  They can then decorate themselves – add clothes, turn themselves into a fairy or a superhero or draw their unseen insides.
• write a message for someone to find later – Happy Birthday for a party, Welcome Home Dad, Merry Christmas – you get the idea
• do some chalk and water painting as seen at Filth Wizardry
• draw a racetrack for your children to follow with their trikes and bikes.  A large figure 8 works well.  You can act as a traffic light in the central intersection for more fun.
• draw around your shadows and watch how they change through the day like Momtessori and her son.
• draw a city for your matchbox cars, or a farmyard for your play animals
• play a game to practise colours.  Draw lots of large dots in different colours.  Someone then calls out a colour and everyone runs to find a dot in that colour.  You can also play this game with letters, numbers,  shapes, chemical elements or anything else you’d like to practise.

You can also make your own sidewalk chalk.  I haven’t tested this out, so I can’t say how it compares to bought chalk.  If you’ve made your own chalk leave a comment and let us know.
What games do you children like to play with chalk?