marble shamrock egg flower 2398 

Marble painting is a great art project that encourages eye-hand coordination and muscle control. It’s fun to experiment with different colors and designs and it’s easy to adapt the project to any holiday or season. Here Alyssa shares a shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day, flowers for Spring and an egg for Easter. Bonus: Kids love marble painting!

marble paint spring 2398  marble paint shamrock 2398

Supplies

  • Shallow box, plastic tray or cake pan (note: stores like Costco have great box options) 
  • Cardstock or construction paper that fits flat into bottom of box/tray (8 x 11 or larger)
  • Tempera paint (your color choice) 
  • Small cups (one for each paint color)
  • Plastic spoons (one for each color)
  • Marbles (1–2 for each color)
  • Scissors 
  • Glue

Optional items

  • Larger plastic balls, such as bouncy balls
  • Tape
  • Plastic wrap to go around box (if you’re concerned about marbles coming out of the box/tray)

Directions

  1. Place paper in the bottom of the box/tray. 
  2. Put about ¼ cup of each paint color into separate cups. 
  3. Put a marble in each cup and use a spoon to coat it with paint. 
  4. Place a paint-coated marble into the box on top of paper.
  5. Roll the marble around in the box to create lines—side to side, top to bottom, in a circular pattern, etc.
  6. Repeat with other colors.
  7. Try using a different sized ball or adding more than one marble at a time. 
  8. Remove the marble(s) and add more paint as needed. 
  9. When happy with the design and amount of paint, allow paper to dry thoroughly.
  10. Cut paper into desired shape, such as shamrocks, flowers or eggs, to make cards or decorations.
  11. If desired, glue painted shape onto solid color background as a matte.

Easter Egg marble paint 2398     flower marble paint 2398     marble shamrock green paper 2398

More to Learn
As kids practice tipping the box left, right, forward and back, experiment and ask questions like:

  • What happens when we add more than one marble? 
  • What happens when the marbles roll faster or slower? 
  • What happens if the ball is larger?
  • Will colors mix? How? 

Alyssa Navapanich is a nationally recognized and award-winning art educator who teaches art to elementary school kids in East County.

____________

Art with Alyssa: 2025 Lunar New Year Snake Craft

Art with Alyssa: 2025 Lunar New Year Snake Craft

2025 is the Year of the Snake! Lunar New Year is celebrated by one fifth of the world’s population in countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore as well as diasporic . . .

Read more

Chinese New Year Lion Lantern

Chinese New Year Lion Lantern

Light up a Chinese New Year celebration with this lively lantern -- a perfect project to do at home with the kids!SuppliesRed paper lanternSheet of red tissue paper1 sheet of office paperScraps of c . . .

Read more

Printable Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids

Printable Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids

Print our adorable, FREE Valentine’s Day cards on cardstock or paper and the kids will be ready to spread some Valentine’s Day cheer to friends and classmates. Have the kids sign their names on . . .

Read more

Art with Alyssa:  Heart Garland for Valentine’s Day

Art with Alyssa: Heart Garland for Valentine’s Day

  Encourage creativity and warm fuzzies this Valentine’s Day with a beautiful heart banner (also referred to as a bunting). There is lots of room for interpretation as each participant chooses . . .

Read more

Make and Send a Hug to Loved Ones

Make and Send a Hug to Loved Ones

Don’t you miss hugging people? Here’s a clever DIY hug craft that lets loved ones know they are missed! Whether it’s Mother's Day, Father’s Day, Teacher Appreciation, a birthday or some othe . . .

Read more

Art with Alyssa: African Maasai Family

Art with Alyssa: African Maasai Family

Celebrate diversity and families with this easy project that utilizes fabric scraps and materials you may already have. Consider framing the finished artwork and gifting it to a family member. The p . . .

Read more

Art with Alyssa: Story Collage Inspired by Faith Ringgold

Art with Alyssa: Story Collage Inspired by Faith Ringgold

Teach children about Black history by studying famous African-American artists and creating art inspired by their work. Here is information about Faith Ringgold, who is best known for her story quil . . .

Read more

Art with Alyssa: Collage Inspired by Artist Alma Thomas

Art with Alyssa: Collage Inspired by Artist Alma Thomas

One way to learn about Black history with kids is to study famous African-American artists and create art inspired by their work. Here are discussion points about Alma Woodsey Thomas and a mosaic pr . . .

Read more

Art with Alyssa: “Stained Glass” Tissue Paper Project

Art with Alyssa: “Stained Glass” Tissue Paper Project

This art project is inspired by the works of Justin Sterling, a Black artist who had an art installation at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park in 2023 called Chapel of the Rocks. L . . .

Read more

Art with Alyssa: Pop Art Hearts

Art with Alyssa: Pop Art Hearts

A fun art project to do with kids on Valentine’s Day or anytime of the year.Pop Art artists of the 1960s, such as Andy Warhol, used everyday objects as inspiration for art. In the 1980s another grou . . .

Read more

Art with Alyssa: Heart Batik Mural

Art with Alyssa: Heart Batik Mural

Plan a Family Art Night that includes making a heart batik mural, homemade Valentine’s Day cards and other creative projects. This fabric batik wall hanging is beautiful and would also make a nice . . .

Read more

Art with Alyssa: Tint and Shade Hearts

Art with Alyssa: Tint and Shade Hearts

Learn tinting and shading with this fun and educational art project that is great for Valentine’s Day or anytime of the year. It works best with oil pastels, but chalk pastel would work as well. D . . .

Read more

Underground Railroad Quilt Square Craft

Underground Railroad Quilt Square Craft

To commemorate Black History Month, do some research as a family on the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman. Then construct your own bowtie quilt square with paper. Discussion for families: Har . . .

Read more

Art with Alyssa: Hands & Hearts

Art with Alyssa: Hands & Hearts

Art is a universal language that can bring people together, encourage empathy and spark meaningful conversations. For families looking for ways to teach children understanding, art and books are a g . . .

Read more

Be Family Informed – Sign up for our Newsletters below!

Subscribe