Your kid’s sidewalk chalk masterpieces don’t come without hard work and sacrifice (from you, to be clear). Getting on hands and knees not in the cards anymore? Bloomfield Hills parents Shauna and Matt Damman feel your pain.
“Our kids are obsessed with drawing roads on the driveway,” mom says of Claire, 8, and Jake, 5. But last spring, while recovering from her C-section with baby Rosalie, Shauna couldn’t bend to help. That’s how a rake handle, zip tie and piece of chalk became the first model for the Dammans’ invention: Walkie Chalk, a stick-like toy that holds sidewalk chalk so illustrators can walk upright while doodling. It’s available on crowdfunding site Kickstarter April 12-May 12.
“We wanted it to be simple and we wanted it to be easy and fun,” says Damman, whose husband created The Small Sports kids book line/brand. Two pieces fit together to make the handle, and a foam-filled fluted area at the bottom holds the chalk.
“The adults are loving it as much as the kids,” says Damman, adding it’s great for those with disabilities, grandparents and college students decorating campus walkways. “The amount of people this could actually work for is amazing.”
How to get it
- April 12-May 12: Buy on Kickstarter for $15 or less (ships about late May)
- May 13 and beyond: Order online at walkiechalk.com, amazon.com and select speciality retailers
- Spring 2017: Watch for it at national retailers
