Make Sidewalk Chalk In Your Labratory

Making sidewalk chalk in a laboratory is easy to believe, but what if the laboratory is your kitchen?! Check out this easy way to make your own sidewalk chalk, and create your own colors! This project is fun to do, and then the fun continues when you take your chalk out to color with it!

My children loved this project when they were younger. My teenager was on the search for the perfect color for the longest time.

Supplies Needed:

• Toilet Paper Tube OR a paper Towel Tube cut in half
• Aluminum Foil OR Wax Paper
• 1/2 Cup Water
• Food Coloring
• 1 Cup Plaster of Paris

Directions:

1. Seal off one end of your paper tube with a piece of aluminum foil or wax paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the food color into the water. Don't be stingy with the coloring... you need a lot to have a vibrant result.
3. Stand your toilet paper tube on a piece of aluminum foil or wax paper. This makes it easier to clean up by containing any spills or leaks. 
4. Pour the mixture into the tube(s) you have set up.
5. When firm, peel off the paper tube. Let the exposed stick of chalk dry overnight. If you let the chalk dry overnight with the paper on, you will spend a good amount of time and effort trying to scrape it off.

Plaster of Paris is easy to find online or at art & craft supply stores. Do NOT put any excess down the drain when cleaning up. Scrape as much as possible into the garbage, as it will solidify in the drain pipes!

Consider using the entire bottle of food coloring in each tube for vibrant colors that last and last!

Keep your chalk in a sealed container between uses.

Don't forget to mix food coloring colors to get a new color or shade.