My daughters love any kind of painting activity or paint related craft. There’s something about the messiness of it all that little kids just can’t resist! Sometimes, I feel like we paint so often that I struggle to come up with new and interesting ideas to keep her entertained. So, when I came across this marble painting idea I was thrilled.
If the idea of a super messy painting project, such as edible finger painting recipes, fills you with dread for the clean up, this is something a little different to try that is a little less messy. Marble painting is a great way to let them get their craft on with some different materials and without having to get quite so messy!
Materials Needed:
- Black Cardstock
- White Cardstock
- 3 Marbles
- Acrylic Craft Paint (Red, Black, White, and Yellow)
- Craft Paint Brush
- Plastic Spoon
- Painters Tape or Masking Tape
- 3 small jars or cups (I used recycled baby food jars)
- Cardboard box large enough to fit cardstock inside
Marble Painting Directions:
1. Print a template onto a sheet of white cardstock and cut out. We decided to use Mickey Mouse!
2. Fold small pieces of painters tape backwards into a loop, so that the adhesive side is facing outwards. Attach along the outside edges of the template, and tape it to the middle of your black cardstock.
3. Using the black acrylic paint and your paintbrush, paint only the outside edges of your template. This will help to keep the other colors of paint from bleeding through under the Mickey Mouse template.
4. Once the black paint is dry, flip the black cardstock over, and attach 4 pieces of painters tape to the four corners. Press the black cardstock into the middle of your cardboard box, making sure to press the corners down so the painters tape sticks to the box. This will help to keep your picture from moving around as you slide the marbles from side to side in the box.
5. Add the white, yellow, and red acrylic paint to your three separate jars or cups. Add a marble to each jar.
6. Using the plastic spoon, stir the marble around until it is covered with paint. Use the spoon to move the paint covered marble to your black cardstock with the Mickey Mouse template. You can drop the marble anywhere on your cardstock.
7. Next, pick up and begin tilting the box in order to get the marble to create streaks of paint across your template. Put the marble back into the jar with the spoon to get more paint, and repeat the process over and over until you have the desired amount of paint you would like on your cardstock.
8. Repeat this step until you have used the red, white, and yellow acrylic paint.
9. Once you are finished marble painting, you can slowly remove the Mickey Mouse white cardstock template from your black cardstock. You should be able to clearly see the Mickey Mouse shape on your black cardstock.
10. Let dry completely, and enjoy your painting!
Tip: Save your marbled template, and you can attach to another piece of cardstock to create an additional piece of art.
For more educational activities for toddlers, check out our post on the benefits of painting and benefits of sensory play next.
