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Friends Art Lab / Blog / Dried Marker Activity – DIY Water Table

Dried Marker Activity – DIY Water Table

By Kristian Klebofski   Published: February 15, 2023    Updated: February 15, 2023

No need to shed tears when you grab a marker to color with and it’s all dried up! Instead, try this dried marker activity and make your own water table.

Four containers of water sit on a table, each with one marker in them. Each maker has filled the containers with color (purple, orange, blue, green, and red.) The dried marker activity is ready to play with!
Table of Contents:
  1. We’re turning lemons into sweet, sweet lemonade with this dried marker activity
  2. This dried marker activity is both easy and economical
  3. Materials
  4. Directions
  5. How do you revive dried-out markers?
  6. You don’t have to wait for your markers to dry!
  7. FAQ
  8. We love this dried marker activity

We’re turning lemons into sweet, sweet lemonade with this dried marker activity

We’ve all been there.

We’re coloring, having the time of our lives, we grab the next marker, and the moment it hits the paper, it doesn’t glide. The color either comes out streaked, barely visible, or nothing comes out at all.

But alas, there’s no need to fret! In fact, there actually is a lot of color and life still left inside, and it’s about to get colorful!

Related: Know what pairs perfectly with markers? Our gigantic 10-foot coloring banners! (Seriously, they’re the best.)

Five dried out markers are held in front of and above five clear containers of water, ready to begin the dried marker activity.

This dried marker activity is both easy and economical

One of our very best tips is to stock up on Crayola markers at back-to-school time. Boxes of 10 markers are on sale for $1, making each marker only 10 cents.

Then, throughout the year, save the markers that dry out. It might be tempting to throw them away since they are inexpensive AND have fulfilled their destiny, but we’re still able to squeeze some more fun out of them.

Once you have several markers, you’re ready to make a colorful water table, and at this point, it’s essentially free!

Looking for more marker fun? We’ve got you covered:

  • Double Doodle Art for Kids – The Artful Parent
  • Crazy Photo Collages – Picklebums
  • Bleeding Blossoms – Babble Dabble Do
The materials for the dried out marker activity: first, all five markers are tested to see how much ink is in them (ranging from none to barely any).

Materials

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  • Dried markers
  • Water
  • Clear containers
  • Play props – spoons, cups, scoops, sponges, unifix cubes, plastic toys, pom poms, etc. ( use whatever you have on hand)
A blue marker floats in a clear container and ink bleeds from it into the water.

Directions

Honestly, it’s really simple. 🎉

Fill your containers with water and then toss in your markers with the lids off.

Then, sit back and watch the magic.

And here’s the fun part: you will see the color bleed into the water right before your eyes. You’ll see it trail out, and it’s very, very cool.

Add in props for extended fun!

The longer the marker stays in the water, the more color you will get.

The photos here were taken about 20 minutes after the markers were introduced. In my own experiment, I also left the markers overnight, and it got even more saturated. This is a fantastic opportunity to conduct a secondary experiment with your child and to observe what happens to the water over time.

Four containers of water sit on a table, each with one marker in them. Each maker is beginning to fill the containers with color (purple, orange, blue, green, and red.)

How do you revive dried-out markers?

If you accidentally leave the lid off of a marker but know it’s not actually out of ink yet, you can also bring it back to life!

We usually put the cap on, leave the marker standing up (cap side down), let gravity do its work, and pull the ink back toward the tip.

If, however, the marker has lived a nice, long, fulfilling life and is “out” of ink, it’s time for one last hurrah with the water table.

Each of the five containers is now filled with color from its respective marker and play props have been added in, including sponges, cubes, cups, tongs, spoons, and ladles.

You don’t have to wait for your markers to dry!

Because markers can be purchased inexpensively, you could also do this activity with fresh markers.

I used dried markers for this activity, so it was ultimately free, BUT if I had used brand-new markers, I would get a ton of color, and it would have only cost me 50 cents.

Hours of water exploration, sensory play, color mixing, and fun for 50 cents? More than worth it!

In fact, you can make colorful water tables without markers at all. Check out our sparkly water table using kids’ paint.

A clear cup is fulled with purple water and two unifix cubes.

FAQ

Does the water stain?

We have not found the water to stain because it’s so diluted. To be extra cautious, try this over something like grass.

Can this be done with Sharpies?

We have only ever tried this with Crayola markers.

Does the water have to be a certain temperature?

We have done this with both cold and warm water and it’s works perfectly each way.

A cup pours water out of it and into one of the containers.

We love this dried marker activity

We love that we get to repurpose and upcycle something otherwise headed to the trash.

 We love that we can set up a science experiment for the kids to watch before their very eyes.

 We love that this can be done for free and provides hours of open-ended play.

Have fun!

Friends Art Lab Best Resources:

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Directed Draw Sets for Kids ✍🏼
Learn About Virtual Preschool 🖥️
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Kristian

Hi, I’m Kristian!

I love all things early childhood. Having earned a master's degree in education, I love sharing my passion and knowledge both as a classroom preschool teacher and college professor. Friends Art Lab is my heart and I'm excited to share with you! LEARN MORE

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