Homemade Sidewalk Paint

While we had the cornstarch out, and the kitchen destroyed, from making the cold porcelain clay, we decided to whip up a batch of sidewalk paint too. I've bumped into the recipe for this all over the blogosphere, so I'm not sure who to thank for it, but it's pure brilliance.

The recipe is one part corn starch, to one part water, with liquid food coloring added, to the desired color. When you paint on the sidewalk with it, it starts out kind of watery, with very little color. But then, as it dries, it takes on the appearance of normal sidewalk chalk. My two youngest loved it.

In fact, they continued to play with it, long after the older children had retreated to the air conditioned comfort of the house. So much for the short preschool attention span!

In case your wondering too, the paint washes away, just as easily as normal sidewalk chalk. And, after it dries, it brushes right off of clothing, and little hands, and feet. I'm not sure though, what the permanent effects might be, for the passing ants, and spiders, receiving a good dousing of color, and starch.

It's great to be a homeschooler.