10 Sidewalk Chalk Games

photo by Ryan Bourne

Summer means throwing the kids outside to play. If you think they may get bored quickly with their usual activities, try these 10 sidewalk chalk games!

1. Connect the dots. Draw a picture with just dots, number them, and let the kids connect the dots to see what you drew.

2. Hangman. This fun standby game is even more fun with a larger area to draw on!

3. Pictionary. Write words or phrases on paper and then have a child pick one and draw it for others to guess.

4. Hopscotch. This one gets the kids exercising too!

photo by Adrian

5. Chalk race. Race down the sidewalk, forward or backward, while drawing a line of chalk behind you.

6. Self-portraits. Trace your child's body on the ground and have them draw in the details.

7. Hole in the Wall. Similar to the TV show, have your child lie down in a silly pose. Trace his or her body with chalk. See if the other kids can lie down in the pose.

8. Tic tac toe. An easy game that never gets old!

photo by Horton Web Design

9. Dot game. Make a grid of dots. Take turns drawing a line connecting two dots, with the goal of making a square. Whoever closes a square on their turn puts their initials inside the square. Once all the squares are made, whoever has the most squares wins.

10. Photo scenes. Draw a scene on the ground. Tell the kids to lie down and pose according to that scene, get on a ladder above them, and take a photo. (Go here for an example.)

What chalk games do your kids play?