Getting Creative with Chalk

Getting Creative with Chalk:
 A #ParentingNerd Family Photo Activity
 By MrsMommyHolic

Like every other parent, I love taking pictures of my kids.  I love dressing them up in costumes or cute little outfits and teaching them how to pose (my daughter Miley has mastered the hands-on-hip, beauty queen stance at 4 years old).

We’ve had our family portraits done by a professional photographer about 4 times already (basically once a year). And one thing I can say is that these photoshoots do not come cheap these days. It really is an investment, especially if you choose to go with the more well-known studios around town. 

But really, there’s no reason not to have beautiful pictures even if you just take these by yourself at home. As a Parenting Nerd, I love searching for inspiration online, and if I can recreate something with my kids, I’m all for it! One of those ideas I’ve been wanting to try is sidewalk chalk photos.

I love this whole concept since it’s so easy, inexpensive, and creates a big impact. All you need is chalk, an area where you can do your drawing, and a huge imagination.

A pack of chalk only costs P15

Instead of doing this on the street, I decided to just use a blank wall at the back of our house. Drawing on a darker surface would be ideal but I figured it would be easier for me to draw uninterrupted here without having to worry about cars passing by.  And honestly, it was just too hot to do it outside! ☺

I had to decide what background or scenery I wanted to draw. I did a quick sketch first on paper just to give me an idea of the whole picture. I figured I wanted to showcase what my kids are into these days. My daughter Miley is such a girly-girl, so she had to be a fairy princess for sure. My son Sabre loves superheroes, so why not make him one? And for my youngest Skyler, I just thought of playing around with his name and doing something with him in the “sky” (pun intended ;p).

Please don’t make me draw people haha! ;p

 My drawing skills may suck on paper, but I totally love how easy it is to work with chalk! You really don’t need to have any artistic background since you’re working with basic shapes and patterns. And if you make a mistake, it’s so easy to erase and do over.

This is also a fun activity for your kids since they can help you out with the drawing. And don’t worry about making it look perfect. It’s supposed to look hand-drawn so I kinda think it looks better with uneven lines and squiggles, don’t you think? ;p

doodling, shading, and coloring

 The whole drawing took me about an hour to do. And here’s how the finished wall looked like:

Now comes the fun part! I dressed the kids up in their costumes and had them stand in place. I have to say this was probably one of the easiest shoots we ever did. When we’d go to the photographer’s studio in the past, they’d easily get bored and distracted and would hardly sit still! But now, they were so excited when they saw the drawing! I was surprised at how cooperative they were since I didn’t even have to give that much instruction. They immediately positioned themselves at their spots and started acting like their “characters”.

Superhero Sabre to the rescue!

It was a little bit tricky shooting my youngest, Skyler, though, since I had to have my hubby hold him up.  We thought of dressing him up in his carrier which was perfect for this parachute look! So knowing a little Photoshop helps too since I just edited hubby out after hehe!

And here’s the final picture! So happy with how it turned out.

Being a Parenting Nerd means you can be as creative as your imagination will allow you in doing this project. And in the end, you’ll have unique and cool family photos that you can treasure forever.

So let your imagination go wild and try out this chalky family portrait activity. Your child can be a moose, an astronaut, a mermaid, a dragon rider – you name it! Or recreate a famous landmark and do a chalky travelogue.

Snap some photos and share your experience in the comments below. And keep watching this blog for more #ParentingNerd tips. ;p

#ParentingNerd Starter Tip:

Try out these ideas as you make your own chalky photos. Your kids can interact with the drawings too!

Take inspiration from these drawings, then share your experiences in the comments section below!

DISCLAIMER:

Infants six months onwards should be given fresh, indigenous, and natural foods, in combination with continued breastfeeding. This product is not suitable as a breast milk substitute.

CERELAC and GERBER are solid food for kids aged 6 months onwards.

Opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not express the views or opinions of Nestlé Philippines, Inc.