Sometimes its nice to give a surprise to your child “just because.” I’m not the type of mother who will buy my son something every time we walk in to Walmart. First, I don’t want him to expect this, and secondly, it’s not feasible budget-wise. However, I delight in seeing his eyes light up when he gets a little treat that he wasn’t guessing he’d get. That’s where this little box comes in handy. We love Crayola Sidewalk Chalk! It provides hours of fun and creativity for my little one and it doesn’t break my budget when I buy a box!

While I’m on the subject of price, I can tell you that a typical box of the sidewalk chalk with 15 sticks sells for around $2.50 in my area. When you are four, bigger is better, so for less than $3.00 I have a nice-sized gift. It beats the $20.00 I’ve shelled out for Thomas the Tank Engines that can fit in a toddler-sized pocket! Even better, it is readily available. The aforementioned Thomas the Tank Engine paraphernalia can only be found at specialty stores after a 30-minute drive while the chalk can easily be picked up in town with my cleaning supplies.

The box that the chalk comes in has a neat little handle that makes it portable to the driveway or to Grandma’s house. Inside rests 15 or 20 little sticks of chalk (I’ve seen both sizes here) about 5 inches long in varying colors. Some knock-off brands only have the pastel colors that are indistinguishable on the driveway, but Crayola comes with very vibrant colors. In this case, brand name does matter.

When we first began using the chalk, my son would come inside covered with chalk dust from head to toe. I worried that we would not be able to get it out of his clothes, but it was not a huge concern since we live in red clay covered North Carolina. I had no cause for worry, however. Crayola has not ruined one article of clothing yet! Another selling point is that it is completely non-toxic. Even if your child uses the chalk sticks as a lollipop they’ll be just fine, though I do not recommend this snack!

At the Crayola website they have the age range for this product at 5 and under. I can see that this product would have appeal to any school-age child. It is absolutely versatile. The chalk sticks are wide enough for the very young toddler to begin the basic scribbles that will eventually lead to drawing, and older children can make four-square courts and hop-scotch with it. When I taught preschool, we would dip the chalk in water or buttermilk and draw on paper bags. It made the chalk look luminous. We called this chalk painting.

If you are looking for an inexpensive, yet creative gift for your child or another, you simply can’t go wrong with Crayola Sidewalk Chalk. It is a must-have for summer fun!


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 2.50
Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years