Image: Max Pixel | CC0 1.0

School is out and things outside are heating up! As the summer season gets rolling, the kids will be heading outside to play and you’ll be looking for ways to keep them busy. An easy way to do that is with a pail of sidewalk chalk and a big blank driveway or sidewalk.

When it comes to chalk, everyone knows that hopscotch is a classic game. But everyone may not know about all of the other creative possibilities in that pail. Here’s a bucket load of easy ideas to try out this summer.

1. 2-D Obstacle Course

Get the kids up and moving in a new way. Devise a few simple actions for them to perform, like “spin in a circle” or “roar like a lion,” then draw them a path to follow on the ground and let the fun begin! The course can be as long or as short as you want it to be, and the opportunities for silliness are endless.

2. Water Balloon Bull's-eye

Beat the heat with this clever take on lawn darts! Draw two bull’s-eyes across from each other in the driveway. Assign a different amount of points to each ring of the circles, fill up some water balloons, and get ready to get wet and have some fun. The best part is there’s no debating over where the balloon landed.

3. Sidewalk Twister

Bring this classic game outdoors with chalk and some concrete. Draw a Twister board in the driveway: five red circles, five blue circles, five yellow circles, and five green circles. Call out the moves or grab an old spinner. Kids will have fun bending, twisting, and trying to win.

4. Stage a Photo Shoot

Turn your kids into superheroes, jungle explorers, or deep sea divers with some chalk and creativity! Draw a fun scene in the driveway and let the little ones get silly with poses to live out some playtime dreams.

5. Sidewalk Dots and Boxes

Draw a square grid of dots on the ground and gather up the kids. Give each one their own color of chalk and have them take turns connecting two dots with a line, one at a time. Every time they complete a box, they get to fill in the box with their initial or icon of choice. Whoever has the most boxes at the end wins.

6. Make Chalk Paint

If you know someone who would rather paint than draw, then this is for you! All it takes is using a cheese grater to turn chalk sticks into powder. Add some water, mix together, and you’re done. You’ve made an easy washable paint that will let art happen in all kinds of different ways!

7. Human Sundial Experiment

Teach kids about the history of time and earth’s rotation with this science experiment. Pick a place with a lot of open area and not a lot of shade. Draw an “X” on the ground where your little one should stand and trace his or her shadow at least three times in a given day – in the morning, during the middle of the day, and in the early evening. Note the time of day at each shadow and have your child describe how the shadows have changed over the course of the day. This activity is a great opportunity to teach and have fun with the kids!

Now send the kids outside and get chalking. If you’re really lucky, tomorrow will be a rainy day and you’ll even save yourself the cleanup!