A former Blanco Vista student outlined his name in the mosaics using pastel colors.
When physical education teacher Caroline Spradling shared a how-to mosaic using sidewalk chalk and masking tape, she had no idea the activity would spread worldwide.
Spradling sensationalized this time-consuming five-dollar activity and did not know she was doing so. She admits her art skills are not the sharpest, yet her Facebook post has led to the plastering of mosaics on sidewalks, doors, fences, windows, stones and more.
“With this whole online learning,” said Spradling, PE teacher at Blanco Vista elementary school, “I’m learning that parents just want things that keep their kids busy. I’m trying to come up with fun things in general, not just PE things.”
Mosaic chalk art was not this coach’s idea originally. She got it from a friend, Carrie Rabke, and wanted to share the clever idea with instructions. But the idea is not Rabke’s, either. Spradling is unsure how far back it goes back, but the most important part of it is that the idea moves forward — and it has.
“I thought kids would love to do that, so I posted some of [Rabke’s] pictures and told people how to do it!”
After sharing the howto, Spradling went from 50 Facebook followers to over 14,000. She began receiving messages with photos from Canada, the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, Washington, Alabama and elsewhere.
Journalists from the UK began requesting to interview this Hays CISD elementary school teacher. She felt overwhelmed with all the attention, especially as she had never been interviewed before.
“When I posted that on my page, I didn’t think much about it,” Spradling told the Hays Free Press, “but I got all these shares and likes.”
People began putting their own twist on the mosaics. Some used acrylic to create a semi-permanent piece, some drew messages in the art saying “love,” wrote people’s names and a cross in the middle. Some kids drew cartoon
characters and made the mosaic three-dimensional. Those who do not have yards drew the mosaics on canvases.
The activity muses have not stopped here for Spradling; she continues to churn out more ideas for students to participate in and updates the Blanco Vista Elementary PE Facebook page for everyone to try. Some exercises require more movement, considering Spradling’s athletic background and field, and some of them are more mellow. She even combined the sidewalk chalk with sport and “posted some other chalk obstacle courses.”
“I don’t know who’s in charge but thank you for the great ideas on getting kids moving during this coronavirus quarantine,” wrote a page follower. “I have shared your post with my people here in the Chicago suburbs.” Even though Spradling is adjusting to going viral, she feels very happy that her posts are creating positive effects and feedback.
“I’m just happy it’s putting smiles on people’s faces and that families, not just kids, are having fun with it,” Spradling said in her upbeat tone. “I’m getting lots of feedback of people messaging me. It’s a little overwhelming in a way; I was just putting out a fun activity, but to have all this positive feedback is rewarding in a way.”
