Sidewalk chalk isn’t just for summer! The next time you have one of those perfect-weather fall days, head outside and get creative by making these sidewalk chalk Jack-o-lanterns with your kids!
If there is one tradition that defines Halloween (other than trick-or-treating), it’s got to be…pumpkin carving!
Have you carved yours yet?
If you haven’t carved (or painted) pumpkins yet, this activity is a great way to get kids thinking ahead of time about how they want to decorate their pumpkins. And if your family has already decorated your pumpkins, it can be a fun way to bring to life different ideas you didn’t use for the real deal.
Either way, it’s a winner. And it’s so easy to set up. All you need is some sidewalk chalk (preferably in pumpkin-ish colors, but feel free to get wild and use whatever colors you want!) and an outdoor space for drawing, like a driveway or patio. That’s it!
Read the full directions below, and try it out today after naptime or when your kids get home from school!
How to make Sidewalk Chalk Jack-o-lanterns
Materials Needed:
- Sidewalk chalk
- Outdoor space to draw (patio, driveway, etc.)
Directions:
- Draw several large pumpkin shapes on the ground. Leave the center of each one blank.
- Invite your kids to turn the pumpkins into Jack-o-lanterns by drawing faces on the pumpkins. Encourage them to add variety by asking “How many different expressions can your show?”
- That’s it!
We did this as an after-school invitation to play, and my boys eagerly jumped right in. In fact, I had to start drawing more pumpkins because they quickly informed me that there weren’t nearly enough. Soon, almost our whole patio was a sidewalk chalk pumpkin patch. It was a great way for all of us to connect after school and for the kids to get outside and unwind.
If you have younger kids, it would be a great activity to do after naptime or after lunch. These fall afternoons are gorgeous, and we’ve got to soak in the sun while we can!
Want to keep playing? Here are some ideas to extend the activity:
Sing about it! Draw five pumpkins in a row and invite kids to decorate them. Then, sing the “Five Little Pumpkins” song together. This is a great way to practice counting together!
Talk about feelings! Talk about the expressions on your Jack-o-lanterns’ faces. Is the pumpkin mad? Sad? Happy? Scared? How do you know? Discussing facial expressions like this can help kids be more aware of the body language and emotions of the people they interact with.
Add the alphabet! Write a different letter of the alphabet on or near each pumpkin. Once you have several, play a game together. Call out a letter and encourage your child to find and jump on the pumpkin for that letter.
Looking for more Halloween ideas for kids? Try these favorites!
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