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

Dried Marker Activity – DIY Water Table

Author: Kristian Klebofski    Published: 02/15/2023     Updated: 02/17/2025

Try this dried marker activity the next time you find a dried marker in your collection. No need to shed tears when your markers run out of ink because we can transform them into colorful water play!

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. We love this dried marker activity
  8. Frequently Asked Questions

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!

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 water play fun? We’ve got you covered:

  • Metallic Water Table
  • Wash the Rocks
  • Upcycled Berry Basket Water Table
  • Ice Table Sensory Bin
The materials for the dried 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 – ex: spoons, cups, scoops, sponges, unifix cubes, plastic toys, pom poms
A blue marker floats in a clear container and ink bleeds from it into the water making the dried marker activity.

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

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!

💡 Teacher Tip: 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.

An arial view of the dried marker activity: 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.

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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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.

What age is this activity recommended for?

Any that can safely use the materials.

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Kristian

Hi, I’m Kristian!

I have spent over 15 years in the preschool classroom, I have a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education, and I was a college professor of education for eight years. My passion is sharing creative learning activities for children and I'm so happy you're here.

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