Do you want to give your kids a break from their tablets? Are you hoping to boost their creativity while encouraging their development of coordination? Most of us will be familiar with pavement chalks, which were the best source of entertainment for previous generations.
The possibilities for pavement chalks are endless: drawing creative pictures in the garden and playing collaborative games in the street with the other children are just some of the benefits of this activity. If you buy pavement chalk for your kids, they're sure to be in for a summer of fun. While it is messy play, chalk can be cleaned off pavements and hands with ease.
Although most are non-toxic, most brands recommend that this type of toy is best for children over the age of three. We all know that babies and young toddlers love to use their mouths to explore! Particularly attractive to little ones because of their bright colours, it's best to avoid chalk around babies and young toddlers. That being said, they're great fun for little ones three-years-old and older.
The best pavement chalk for kids
In short, here's a list of the best pavement chalk to keep your kids entertained for hours of fun outdoors this summer. From well-known brands such as Crayola and Kidly, your children will be able to create art and play games to their hearts' content.
Affordable pavement chalk
www.tesco.com
For the most affordable option, this jumbo chalk bucket from Tesco means hours of cheap and cheerful fun creating art in the garden. With its own storage box (that can be used for just about anything), these chalks come with two of each colour options, so sharing comes easily.
Review: "Fabulous family fun. The bucket can be used for water and paintbrushes etc! Mark making on the pavement with colourful chalks!"
**Pros:
**• Affordable
• Good quality
• Plastic storage tub
• Thickness means easy to hold
Cons:
• Limited colour choices
Best vibrant pavement chalk
A set of vibrant chalks means kids can create stunning pieces of art. While, for some buyers, the chalks arrived broken, it's safe to say chalk isn't renowned for being the strongest of materials. For what you pay, this affordable set of chalks is still sure to provide hours of fun.
Review: "Perfect for fun on the patio! Great chunky size chalk that the three-year-old found easy to hold."
Pros:
• Fantastic deal
• Bright colours
• Thickness means easy to hold
**Cons:
**• Easily broken
Best chunky pavement chalk
Although some reviews claim these chalks aren't exactly giant, their thickness makes them easy to hold for small hands. For playing games or creating drawings, this set of chalks have a few of each colour, which makes sharing easy for group play.
Review: "Bought these for small children to get creative on the patio. The colours are good, and the fact that they are so chunky means that they don't break like narrower chalks."
Pros:
• Thickness means easy to hold
• Plastic storage tub
Cons:
• Not 'giant' like described
• Easily broken
Best pavement chalk with colour options
www.booghe.co.uk
Our top pick
Known brand, Crayola, has a fantastic deal on their Washable Sidewalk Chalk. With a brilliant range of realistic colours, your little one can create self-portraits and draw the world around them with ease. A precision tip means they can add detail and shading. In our opinion, these are some of the best pavement chalks on the market.
Review: "Our granddaughter was delighted with all the colours. Fun and easy to use for a three-year-old."
Pros:
• Fantastic deal
• Fantastic colour range
• Bright colours
• Anti-roll shape
• Pointed tip for precision
Cons:
• We can't think of any!
The best pavement chalk for group games
This box contains over 100 chalks, making them perfect for group and collaborative art or play. Due to the fact there are many of the same colour, it means all the children in the neighbourhood can get involved with traditional games like hopscotch, dots and boxes or x's and o's.
Review: "Excellent. They get used quick but a doodle to hold, make excellent marks/colour transfer - we take them on woodland walks to draw on trees, stones, everything - and come in a huge quantity to share with the entire gang of toddlers, plenty spare left over for 'friends made on the day' too. Also, cheap as anything. Really is a great purchase."
Pros:
• Fantastic colour range
• Multiple colour options, perfect for group play
• Anti-roll shape
• Break resistant
Cons:
• More expensive than other options, but you get what you pay for!
6.
Floor Chalks
The best patterned pavement chalk
www.kidly.co.uk
These attractive, brightly coloured chalks have patterns and glitter that make them perfect for kids to play with on a summer evening. With a mix of colours and a carry box, your kids will have fun playing with this set.
Review: "Vibrant pigments, beautiful packing and a handy box to stow the chalks. They do wear down quickly but you get a lot in the carton so not a problem."
Pros:
• Marked with patterns and glitter
• Comes with a carry case
• Includes instructions on making your own hopscotch grids
Cons:
• We can't think of any!
The best pastel pavement chalks
www.therange.co.uk
Thanks to their precision tip, these chunky chalks are ideal for little ones to hold and create artwork. As well as being highly affordable, the pastel rainbow chalks are a simple solution to boredom that can be easily cleaned up too.
Pros:
• Affordable
• Pastel colours for softer tones
• Thickness means easy to hold
• Pointed tip for precision
Cons:
• No reviews as of yet
• Colours may lack vibrancy
The best simple pavement chalk
www.glow.co.uk
Despite the lack of colour choices, this no-fuss pavement chalk is a classic option for fun all-round. We adore that they're an affordable option to pass the time on a summer's day.
**Pros:
**• Affordable
• Simple and no fuss product
**Cons:
**• Limited colour choices
• Colours may lack vibrancy
• No reviews as of yet
What games can you play with pavement chalk?
Here are some popular and traditional games you're sure to know that your kids can play, all with the simplicity of chalk. Most are group games that encourage collaboration, teamwork, and most of all, hours of fun!
• Hopscotch
• X's and O's
• Dots and Boxes
• Snakes and Ladders
• Bullseye
• Long Jump
• Twister
• Obstacle Course
• Pictionary
How do you clean pavement chalk?
Cleaning pavement chalk couldn't be easier! Once the kids have finished playing, all you need to do is add water. You can use a garden hose, a bucket of water, or even let the rain wash all of their drawings away.
On the other hand, although it's pretty unlikely to leave any residue, using soapy water and a broom to sweep the chalk away will be more than enough.
Chalks are a good way to allow kids to express their creativity, get out into the sunshine and have fun without making any permanent mess!