This Fizzing Sidewalk Paint recipe is by far one of our kids’ most favorite play recipes of all times. This outdoor paint activity works great for kids of all ages and adds a little fizzy to artful science! You can paint masterpieces on your driveway, sidewalk or playground surface. This DIY sidewalk chalk paint is great for home or at school recess or outdoor classroom activity.

Make Fizzing Sidewalk PAINT
Sidewalk chalk is fun, painting is fun, and making things fizz is also fun! Let’s do all three!
Related: Exploding baggies science experiment for kids & The Art of Block Printing for Kids
This is a really simple recipe to create sidewalk chalk “paint” out of food coloring, baking soda and cornstarch. We have made the standard sidewalk chalk paint before, but this recipe is better – it fizzes when you spray it with vinegar.
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Supplies Needed for Fizzing Sidewalk Chalk Paint
- A container of baking soda – we used an 8 oz box
- 1/2 cup of cornstarch
- Warm (almost hot) Water
- Food coloring
- Vinegar
Video: How to Make Fizzing Sidewalk Paint
How To Make Awesome Fizzing Sidewalk Paint
Step 1

Mix the dry ingredients and then add water, stir until the mixture is not too thick. I think we used about a cup water.
Step 2

Using a paintbrushes, foam brushes, sponges, squeeze bottle paint with the DIY chalk paint on your desired surface creating whatever pictures works best. Layer the next color as desired or do some color mixing.

As you paint your sidewalk pictures you will notice that this homemade chalk paint dries very quickly – but washes off with ease!
I love the brilliant colors of this homemade sidewalk paint. Vibrant colors everywhere!
Step 3

Now for the fun! You can put away your paint brush…

Spray the paint with a bottle of vinegar and watch the fizz appear in your desired color chalk paint.
Our Experience with Fizzing Sidewalk Paint

To say this activity was a hit is an understatement. They are thrilled. The prep was surprisingly easy and we made more than one batch.
And clean up was a bucketful breeze. There is a bit of a mess, but it can be washed away easily with the pour of water making it washable paint!
Ways to Extend Learning Through Play
Want to add more “learning to this activity?
Talk about the reaction between acids and base chemicals. This is a fun way to incorporate chemistry into your preschoolers life (or just enjoy the fizz).

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If you make fizzing sidewalk paint, tell me about it!
Fizzing Sidewalk Paint Recipe for Kids
Make this easy fizzing sidewalk paint to make beautiful chalk pictures! This fun sidewalk chalk paint activity is great for kids of all ages and budget-friendly.
Materials
- A container of baking soda – we used an 8 oz box
- 1/2 cup of cornstarch
- Warm (almost hot) Water
- Food coloring
- Vinegar
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients and then add water, stirring until it’s not too thick. I think we used about a cup.
- Spray the paint with a bottle of vinegar and watch the fizz appear.
More Sidewalk Chalk Paint & Outdoor Fun from Kids Activities Blog
- Let’s make homemade sidewalk chalk.
- This sidewalk chalk board game is so much fun to play outside.
- Have you ever made homemade bathtub paint?
- These outdoor games for kids will have everyone breathing fresh air and giggling.
- Let’s make edible paint.
- This chalk paint recipe is so much fun!
- These rock painting ideas are so fun to make and hide for others.
- Outdoor art is way more fun than indoor art!
- Let’s draw a chalk race track for kids.
- Sidewalk chalk art ideas for kids.
- How to make a neighborhood chalk walk.
- Need more homemade paint ideas for kids? We have ’em!
How did your fizzing sidewalk paint turn out? Did the kids have a really good time playing outside?





















Neat-O! We might have to try this one!
What a great idea! We’ve made volcanoes, bath bombs, sherbert, dancing sultanas and bouncy eggs with this reaction but this one looks like lots of fun too.
we love making sidewalk paint!!!
This is a great idea! We just need the weather to warm up a little out here…
BRILLIANT!!!!! Maybe we’ll try this on Easter Sunday!!
Lots of fun indeed! We have been mixing concoctions in the garden with most of these ingredients this morning, but no fizzing! Will HAVE to do this 🙂
What size box baking soda? I have a HUGE box.
Probably 1/3 of the box then. I used one of those small 3 inch tall boxes.
Oh my this looks COOL!!! Maybe we can have a go during our Royal Wedding Street Party! That would be lots of fun!
Thank you for linking up to Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy
I love this idea and put it in my favorites to use with my group of kids soon.
OMG! What fun!!! I’m saving this to do this summer! Can’t wait!