Sidewalk Scrabble

We loved playing with chalk when we were kids, and we still love playing with chalk as adults! Not only does sidewalk chalk offer a great opportunity to get artsy outside, but there's an endless canvas to work with!

Everyone enjoys drawing fun shapes and illustrations (we were perpetually sketching suns, stars and hearts), but we're pretty sure they have fun with games, too. There's the classic hopscotch board to draw up and play on, but why not get a little more creative with your games (and keep those spelling words in summer minds fresh!)?

Learn while playing! If playing with a younger crowd, you can use this opportunity to teach them new words and improve their English skills! You can make things more interesting/ educational by adding suggesting kids stick to certain categories or types of words (nouns, verbs, adjectives). This way, they'll exercise their creativity and learn more about the rules and usage of certain words. You can make things even more interesting by requiring the players to use their word in a sentence. That's right, Moms - it's okay to sneak some learning into their fun!

Summary: Using the game Scrabble get the kids together and make an endless array of connecting words. Though it's essential kids know how to spell and write, kids of all different ages can play. Some words may be simpler, but they still count!

Recommended Number of Players: 3+

Ages: 5+

Supplies: sidewalk chalk and a big, blank sidewalk, dictionary (depending on ages)

Set Up: N|A

How to Play:

Start the game by writing one word on the sidewalk. (This is a great job for the guest of honor if it is a special celebration.)

Then, the next person in the group writes a new word using one letter from the previous word. For example, if "graduation" is the first word, the second might be "teacher" using the letter "t" in graduation.

Continue the game by writing new words using one letter from words already written. If you have enough colors, it may be a good idea to give each player their own color.

In our game, there's no winner or loser. Play continues until no one can create any new words!