Avocado Pits: A Natural Alternative to Sidewalk Chalk

A few days ago, I was snacking on an avocado while my three-year-old daughter doodled on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. After I was finished, I started to toss the avocado's thick pit into the compost pile, but--for no real reason--I decided to rub it against the concrete. I stumbled upon a pleasant surprise: the avocado pit left a creamy-colored trail, which oxidized into a bright red-orange hue in a matter of seconds.

The next thing I knew, my daughter and I were scribbling all over the driveway with the avocado pit, using it as a natural, sustainable, upcycled form of sidewalk chalk. The bright orange shade was actually much deeper and richer than any offered by "real" chalk. It stood out in pleasant constrast against the pale gray of the driveway. My daughter eagerly asked me for another "magic orange sidewalk chalk egg," amazed by its ability to transform colors in a matter of seconds due to the effects of oxidation.

Now, I've gladly eaten five avocados and donated their pits to the cause of natural sidewalk chalk. Each avocado pit provides a lasting, impressive amount of pigment for your child's artistic adventures. I found that one pit was roughly equivalent to half of a standard sidewalk chalk stick. If you eat avocados on a regular basis, you'll have no shortage of this free, earth-friendly alternative to standard chalk art supplies for kids.

Avocado pits offer another benefit compared to ordinary sidewalk chalk. Their egg-like shapes are much easier for young children to handle than stick-shaped chalk toys. Toddlers are most capable of handling small items in a palm grasp, rather than a fine-tuned pincer grasp. They fine it easier to draw with a relatively large, globe-shaped object than one with a refined stick-like shape.

While your young child hones his fine motor skills, egg-shaped chalk alternatives such as avocado pits and chalk pastel "Easter eggs" can be useful. Try using them to help your toddler write his name, draw simple shapes, or copy letters. Instead of spending money on chalk-based art supplies, up-cycle your avocado pits by turning them into an effective creative medium.