Painting with marbles is a fun process art activity for any age! Use those large motor skills to shake, bounce, and roll!
Supplies for painting with marbles…
The supplies for marble painting are so simple. Here’s what you’ll need!
- Old fashioned marbles are perfect for this. Their weight makes them easy to get rolling and provides a satisfying amount of noise as well. you could also experiment with ping pong balls or golf balls for the same kind of art but on a bigger scale.
- We used washable tempera paint for this but acrylic paint would also work.
- You’ll need paper of your choosing, colored or white, cut to fit.
- You’ll need a plastic container, preferable with a lid that snaps on. We used a re-cycled take out container and it was perfect!
Prepare for your marble painting…
Cut paper the size of the bottom of your lidded container. It can be any size or shape. Tracing around the bottom may help to make an accurate size estimate. This doesn’t have to be perfect.
Use a loop or two of tape to attach the paper to the bottom of the container or tray.
Add a few dollops of paint to the tray. Stick with 2-3 colors per container.
Encourage your kids to experiment with different color combinations, knowing that the colors will mix. Colors that are opposite on the color wheel (complements) will mix to create brown while colors that are next to each other on the color wheel will blend together to create tertiary colors. See this post for more on color theory and a free one page color theory printable!
Start shaking that marble painting….
It’s time to start rolling and shaking those marbles! This is where a container with a lid comes in handy!
Drop in a few marbles, maybe between 4-7. Firmly secure your lid either by snapping into place or adding a piece of tape all the way around.
Hand that container over to your young artists and set them free. Shake, wiggle roll, rattle, and make those marbles dance. Pay attention to the noise of the marbles and how they move through the paint.
Stop at any point your young artists are satisfied. These marble paintings are a quick process. Encourage your kids to make more than one. Experiment with new color combinations as well as what happens when adding marbles already covered in paint to new colors!
Other process art to try….
The fun of this marble painting experience is the experience. It’s making something with no predetermined outcome in mind. And when you get rid of what something “should” look like the process of making becomes a whole lot more fun!
Here a few other process art activities that focus on the joy of making!
