Sidewalk chalk

I recently introduced Mira to sidewalk chalk. I was unsure about whether she'd really get it because she didn't seem to really pick up on crayons the few times we'd tried them. But we tried it anyway one day when the weather was too nice to stay inside but too cool for water play. I showed her how it worked by writing her name on the back porch. Well, she took to it right away, picking up a piece of chalk and drawing a long line on the porch. Over the course of the next half hour or so, she would grab a piece of chalk, walk over to a spot on the porch which I suppose needed coloring, draw one long line, and then get up and walk over to the next spot to draw another single line. This went on and on: squat down, draw a line, get up, walk to next spot, squat down, draw a line, get up... and so on. It was precious.

(Note the blue chalk on her face in this last one... too cute.)

Since then, she's wanted to go out back to color with the chalk most afternoons. She changes colors frequently, but it seems as though her favorites are blue and purple. One day while we were out there playing with chalk, she went to the door and indicated that she wanted to go back inside. I responded, "You want to go inside? Ok but first we have to put away the chalk." And before I made any move to start picking up the chalk, she went right over to the pot we are keeping the chalk in and started putting the chalk into it. I was so incredibly proud of her right then. I don't know why it should have surprised me; I've been having her help me put away her toys for weeks now. But this was a new situation, being outside, with a new toy, the chalk, and a new container, the pot. So I guess I expected that I'd have to show her what I was talking about before she'd get it. But no. Not my baby. She understands perfectly. :-D