A fun and relatively mess-free indoor activity for kids using marbles and paint!
Kids love to paint, and it seems like it’s always such a messy activity. So, when my kids asked to paint last weekend, I started to think about mess free painting activities that are perfect for kids. Enter the DIY Marble Painting! Your kids will love painting with marbles and you’ll love that this activity is easy to clean up and keeps kids entertained!
Marble Crafts for Kids
What is it about marbles that are so fascinating to kids? I’ve watched my son play with marbles by simply rolling them on the floor for an hour. So, I knew that this marble painting craft for kids would be perfect! This marble craft is so easy your toddlers and preschoolers will have a blast.
Supplies:
- Aluminum tray
- Cardstock paper (regular computer paper or construction paper will work as well)
- Marbles
- Tempera Paint (for easy cleanup!)
- Tape (I used masking tape)
Keep scrolling for a Tape Resist painting craft using marbles!
How to Set Up This Simple Marble Painting Activity
1. Cut paper to fit inside your tray. Put a small piece of tape on the bottom side of your paper to hold it in place and put the paper in your aluminum tray. Add some paint either on the sides of the paper or directly on top. I like to put my paint on the sides so that the marbles do all the painting!
2. Next place your marbles in your tray. I’ve found it best to put 1 marble in each paint spot so that the marble is already covered in paint when it starts to roll.
3. Now have your kids rolls the tray back and forth until the paper is covered in a beautiful marble painting. And that’s all! This marble craft is super simple to set up and clean up. Have your kids experiment with different paint colors and see what happens when the marbles mix the colors together. Also have your kids paint with different amounts of marbles to see how that changes the painting. Don’t tell your kids but you just created a fun learning activity!
4. Place your finished marble artwork on a clean surface to dry. I used butcher paper but foil or a granite counter top works too! Once completely dry, these beautiful works of art are ready to hang!
Tape Resist Marble Painting
Now, this simple marble painting activity kept my toddler entertained but I felt like we needed to kick it up a notch for my older kids. So, we decided to combine tape resist art and painting with marbles for a fun craft that’s perfect for kids!
Set up is the same as the instructions above. The only thing you’ll do differently is use masking or painters tape to create shapes, pictures, or designs on your paper BEFORE you start painting. Make sure to cover the entire paper with marble painting so when you pull the tape off later, the shape/design is clearly visible!
Once the Tape Resist marble paintings are completely dry, gently peel the tape away and VOILA you have the perfect Tape Resist Art for Kids!
Helpful Tips When Painting With Marbles
- I used a 9×11 inch tray for this project and cut an 8.5×11 piece of paper in half. This size paper fit perfectly in the tray.
- I like to use Tempera paint for easy cleanup incase a marble or 2 escape, but any craft paint will work for this painting project.
- It helps to tape your paper to the tray so it doesn’t slide around as you tilt the tray.
- Always have a tray for each child! This way you can avoid any unnecessary quarrels between siblings.
- Marble painting is a perfect preschool classroom craft! Think of the fun your class will have making marble art!
- If your paint is on the thicker side, thin it with a couple of drops of water to make it easier for the marbles to roll through it.
🎨 Happy Painting 🎨
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