Maker Monday: Kids will love shoebox marble painting

Sometimes an art-making method is as creative as the finished product. This fun Maker Monday activity — Shoe Box Marble Painting — gives kids a new way to make art. Marbles work their magic as they roll through paint, creating unexpected designs. The finished effect resembles tie-dyed fabric.

Kids can experiment with different shapes and color combinations to create more personalized paintings. Or they can begin with colored paper instead of white for a different background.

This project comes to Kidsburgh from Lauren Kimicata, a preschool teacher at Carriage House Children’s Center in Squirrel Hill.

A note to kid makers: Please work with a parent or caregiver on this Maker Monday project and always be very careful when using tools of any kind.

Maker Monday materials you’ll need:

• a shoebox
• two or three marbles (or more!)
• paint
• disposable spoons
• paper (preferably cardstock or construction paper but any paper will work)
• scissors
• a photo of the child (optional)

Maker Monday instructions:

Step 1: Cut out a flower — or any other shape — from a sheet of paper.

Step 2: Place the cut piece of paper in the shoe box. Spoon a few blobs of different colored paint on top of the paper. (You don’t need much.)

Step 3: Place two or three marbles on top of the paper. Close the shoebox lid and move it to roll the marbles around. Once the marbles have rolled around for a few moments, take a peek inside. Do you love your design or want to keep working on it? You can keep adding paint and rolling the marbles around as desired.

Step 4: Remove the paper and hang it up to dry.

Optional step 5: Once the paper is dry, cut out a photo of your child and glue it to the center of the painting.

Want more at-home fun creating cool stuff and making beautiful things? Check out more Maker Monday projects right here.

Do you have an idea for a Maker Monday craft project? If so, please share it with Kidsburgh! Send your maker activities to info@kidsburgh.org.