Fun for a Buck: DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

Fun for a Buck

It’s been a while since I’ve done a “Fun for a Buck” post.  The whole surgery recovery and prior kinda stifled my creative juices, but hopefully I’ll have more frequent frugal fun posts to share from here out!

kids outdoor activity paint

This one was SO EASY to create!  I originally this Cornstarch Sidewalk Paint on Pinterest, and decided to give it a shot.

You only need 3 ingredients to create this Sidewalk Chalk Paint:

  • Cornstarch
  • Water
  • Food Coloring

Directions:

The easiest and least messy way to mix the paint from my experience is to take this entire activity OUTSIDE!  That way if things spill in the mixing process the mess is outside and not all over your countertops. 

I filled each individual muffin tin about 1/2 way full with cornstarch and then used a sports bottle top water bottle to fill and stir into a paste. You’ll need to mix 3-5 drops of food coloring to make bold colors.

preschool craft sidewalk paint

I was a little worried about the food coloring staining the little people, their clothes, or the sidewalk, but everything washed up nicely and they kept the paint contained within the muffin tin for the most part.

 DIY Sidewalk Chalk Paint

My only regret was I should have had thicker paint brushes to cover the sidewalk better, but the boys didn’t mind one bit! Also, if you do this activity on a hot day, it dries very quickly, so you may need to water down your paint periodically.

painting with muffin tins 

Clean up is easier than it looks.  Water dissolves the paint mixture nicely – next time I’ll probably just wash it out with the hose. Can you tell that I like to keep the mess outside as much as possible?  =)

Hope you enjoy this Fun for a Buck activity as much as we did!

For more “Fun for a Buck” ideas, check out these: