Wise words, Picasso. I think you and I could have been great friends.
I mean, I got some truly incredulous looks when I pulled out the bucket of sidewalk chalk at the wading pool today. Why in the world would I bring my chalk swimming?
Well, I think the question is more like, why not?
A kid can only walk around in water up to her shins for so long before she gets bored, am I right? I wanted to spend the afternoon at the water’s side, so I came prepared with boats, and scoops, snacks and buckets, toys and…
…sidewalk chalk.
Big chunky, colourful chalk and water are made for one another. The colours are more vibrant…
The splashes are way more epic! The children will draw and draw JUST to see colourful splashes they can create!
It also includes kids of all ages, from toddlers to school-aged kids!
By the time we were ready to pack up, we had a bunch more kids we didn’t know join in the fun! The boy is mine, the wee girl is one of the unexpected visitors.
These two stayed til the very end…
And the best part?
The cleaning up part is just as fun as the drawing part!
Just sploosh it all away and come back another day!
So the next time you’re packing up to head out to the city wading pool, take some advice from Picasso and bring along your chalk.
Happy Summer, friends!
Thanks for stopping by!
~Arlee, Small Potatoes
Small Potatoes 
That is a great idea : )
that sounds like so much fun!
Nice idea for a backyard pool. I think if planning for a public wading pool, it would be best to check if it’s ok to bring chalk since it’s a shared facility. (For one of the splash pads we’ve gone to, we couldn’t even wear our regular t-shirts and had to wear swim suits because they didn’t want dyes from clothes to potentially get in the water.)
This was not the “pay to get into” facility. It’s an “open to the public” city park with concrete surrounding the entire wading area. There is no supervision, no lifeguards, etc. A more relaxed summer play area 🙂
What a fabulous idea. You could totally do this on a driveway too with a hose. Beautiful pictures btw.
Such a brilliant idea !!!
I love your posts and the way you give children so much freedom to explore different materials. Great pictures too:)
Thats fantastic! I widh we had such a place available in our area. Looks like so much fun:)
This is a great idea! I have a driveway full of rocks with nowhere to use chalk!
I love this idea! It also puts together two of my littles ones favourite things to do! Swimming/anything to do with water and drawing! I must try thing! Thanks for the idea! 🙂