When the weather gets nicer, you naturally want to spend as much time outside as possible. TheStaying outdoorsis particularly important for both adults and children and makes you healthy. If you are one of the lucky ones who has a garden or at least a small outdoor area, then you can create a play area outside where your children can entertain themselves when the weather is good. In this article we will show you how you can make a chalkboard for children in the garden. You can find a few DIY projects to recreate as well as many inspiring ideas in the following sections.
Your children want oneChalkboard in the children's roombut you can't stand the thought of chalk dust in the house? When it comes to art projects, children often make big messes. A chalkboard in the garden is a great alternative to the traditional blackboard in the house. It can keep your little ones entertained for hours and is super easy to clean.
For oneChalkboard in the gardenyou don't need much space at all. It can easily be attached to the fence or positioned in a corner when it comes to a standing board. The chalk dust that floats in the air disappears immediately and is not inhaled by the children throughout the day. In this way, the little ones can have the long-awaited chalkboard at home without any unnecessary dust.
How to build a chalkboard yourself in the garden?
Building your own chalkboard isn't really rocket science. This way you can decide for yourself how big the board should be and what shape it should have. We now present three DIY projects that you can recreate yourself to give your children an entertaining toy.
DIY plywood chalkboard with frame
You can quickly build a simple chalkboard with a frame yourself from simple materials such as plywood and wooden strips. If you want to save yourself the work at home, you can have all the wooden elements sawn at the hardware store. It's just important that you determine the exact dimensions of your chalkboard in advance. However, you must note that a plywood chalkboard is not waterproof and must be stored or covered in the event of rain or snow.
Materials:
- pressure-treated plywood (for outdoor use)
- Chalkboard paint and paint roller
- Pine wood strips for the frame (cut to size)
- drill
- Wood screws (or nail gun)
- Hooks for the back of the frame
- Wood stain for the frame
Directions:
1. Paint the pressure-treated plywood with chalkboard paint. For best results, apply two to three coats, allowing the paint to dry between each coat.
2. Stain the wooden strips for the frame before attaching them to the plywood. You can apply the wood stain with an old rag.
3. Screw or nail the pine strips to form the frame. First assemble the frame and then attach it to the board.
4. Screw on the hooks to hang the frame.
5. Before you write on the chalkboard, you need to coat it with chalk. Simply rub a piece of chalk over the entire surface and then wipe the board with a dry or slightly damp rag. Complete!
Simple chalkboard without frame
When children get their hands on chalk in the garden, man-made creations are often found not only on the patio, but also on brick walls, planters and on the children themselves. If you want to give your little artists an appropriate canvas for their masterpieces, then the chalkboard is an excellent addition to your outdoor space.
This project does not involve building a frame for the board, making it even easier and quicker to build. The materials you need and instructions can be found below.
Materials:
- Plywood sheet of desired size
- Drill with drill bit matching the width of the rope
- Polypropylene rope
- Chalkboard paint
- Small buckets for sidewalk chalk
- Wire rope for hanging the buckets on the fence
Directions:
1. Paint the plywood with two or three coats of chalkboard paint. Allow to dry in between.
2. Use a tape measure to determine where you want to drill holes to hang the rope. Mark the spots with a pencil.
3. Drill two holes in the plywood.
4. Pass the rope through the one hole. Tie a knot in the front. Hang the other end of the rope over the fence, pass it through the second hole and tie another knot. Cut off the excess rope.
5. You have the canvas, now all you need is the tools! Drill a few drainage holes in a small metal or plastic bucket. Insert the sidewalk chalk.
6. Attach a wire rope to the handles of the bucket and hang it on the fence. That's it!
DIY weatherproof outdoor chalkboard
Plywood may be a cheap material, but it is not weatherproof and probably wouldn't survive a season of rain and snow. Instead of plywood, you can use cement fiber board. Cement boards are often used for facade cladding because they are low-maintenance and durable. Priced at 15 to 20 euros per board, they also make an affordable DIY chalkboard.
When it comes to paint, commercially available chalkboard paint is usually not suitable for outdoor use. Instead, you can also use black exterior latex paint, which is very similar to chalkboard paint. So here is everything you need for this project.
Materials:
- pressure treated pine wood strips
- Cement fiberboard
- Screws for outdoor use
- black latex paint for outdoor use
Directions:
1. Paint the cement fiberboard with the latex paint and allow the paint to dry.
2. Make a frame from the wooden strips and screw it to the board. You can also paint the frame if you wish.
3. You can attach the chalkboard for children in the garden to the fence or to the posts of a sandpit as in the example above. To attach, use either screws or construction adhesive.
Tip 1: Clean the chalkboard in the garden
After wiping the board with a damp cloth or sponge, chalk residue still remains? Chalk pens in particular, which are waterproof, often do not come off completely with normal water. A mixture of warm water, baking soda and vinegar can help against stubborn chalk residue. This solution along with a micro sponge should solve the problem.
Tip 2: This is how the chalkboard in the garden becomes weatherproof
The only downside to having a plywood chalkboard in the garden is that it will deteriorate over time. To prevent this, you can make your own chalkboard paint using exterior paint and tile mortar. The recipe is simple – mix 1 cup of exterior paint with 2 tablespoons of tile grout. This should ensure that the front of the board becomes weatherproof. If you choose this option, your chalkboard for children in the garden doesn't necessarily have to be black. In principle, any color is possible, but we still recommend a darker tone so that the chalk shows off well.
Also, don't forget to paint the back and sides of the board with exterior paint. This means your chalkboard will remain beautiful for several years.
Learn and play with the chalkboard
The possibilities that a chalkboard offers in the garden are almost endless. While small children can mainly draw small pictures, older ones can use the chalkboard to learn. The board will also come in handy during various games. There you can write down the score or, in the case of a draw-and-guess game, the board can be used instead of paper.
Creative ideas for a chalkboard for children in the garden
You want a creative one in the gardenPlay area for the childrendesign? Then the chalkboard is a great addition that your children would certainly be happy about. You can find a few more ideas on how you can design the chalkboard for children and best integrate it into your outdoor area in the photo gallery below.
Build a lid for the sandbox and create a chalkboard inside
You can find many great ideas for a small or large DIY sandpitin this article!
Free-standing chalkboard or mounted on the wall of the house? You decide for yourself!
The chalkboard fits wonderfully into the children's play area in the garden
To make the play area more beautiful, paint the frame of the chalkboard and decorate it with colorful pennants
Mount a small hook on the frame to always have the buckets of chalk within easy reach
You can position a free-standing chalkboard for children anywhere in the garden
And why not paint the children's table with chalkboard paint and turn it into a chalkboard?
