Okay, it’s not technically free because you have to buy the chalk and the construction paper, but if you’re like me, those are things you had on hand anyway.  So, kinda free.

The photo shows some ice cream-shaped chalk that I bought for our Letter I Activities.  We were doing something else with the construction paper, and the chalk was nearby.  My 18-month-old started playing with the chalk, so I showed her she could scribble on the construction paper with it.

This works best on dark paper because of the contrast, but it also works on lighter colors, so you could let your kids play with a variety of colors to experiment with the results.

And this is a great project because chalk washes right out of clothing or off of carpet or couches or whatever else it gets on.  Easy clean-up is always a benefit.

Especially great for rainy autumn or snowy winter days!