My favorite color exploration: is recycling markers into watercolors.

If you are like us, I can find washable markers on tabletops or in the marker drawer of the art cart on any given day.

So before allowing it to make us crazy or tossing dried-out markers in the trash, I’ve got an exciting idea for your family to try.

Recycling markers into watercolors was so fun that we even did it twice in one day! It’s one Science experiment that you do not want to breeze past.

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Here is how you bring a dried-out Crayola marker back to life.

This watercolor idea got all three of my boys engaged.

I have a 2.5-year-old, 4.5-year-old, and six-year-old. All three boys watched in amazement as the recycled markers transitioned to watercolors before their eyes.

Even better is that the entire setup and execution are entirely up to them.

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Instructions on how to recycle markers into watercolors:

1. Test each marker.

2. Set aside the markers that no longer work.

3. Classify each dried-out maker by color.

4. Add the colored marker facedown into its reusable container.

5. Add water to each container.

6. Let the marker soak. The longer you wait, the stronger the color.

7. Use the watercolors for painting or water pouring and color mixing exploration.

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The first steps to recycling markers into watercolors:

I laid out nine reusable jars in front of my boys.

The boys then went through each marker in our art cart to determine if it was dried out or not.

The useful markers went back into the cart, and the dried-out makers were classified by color into the reusable container facedown.

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Next, we lined up our dried-out markers in rainbow order.

I added water to our large measuring cup and asked my preschoolers to fill each container with a steady hand.

I do activities like pouring water with a steady hand on purpose.

Since I want my boys to become more self-sufficient and confident when pouring milk into cereal and tomato sauce on their spaghetti, this activity was a way to practice risk-free!

Activities like these recycled markers into watercolors help prepare my preschoolers for real life!

Once all of our old markers transitioned to watercolors, we headed outside for some color exploration!

Color mixing will forever be a favorite.

You can see us mixing colors on ice.

We also tested color expansion out on cotton balls.

And here we are mixing the rainbow with our watercolors, similar to what Busy Toddler did here.

The watercolors mix pretty quickly. – the alternative idea is to offer a few watercolors at a time.

My boys were all pretty excited and couldn’t wait to dive in.

They grabbed a few funnels from our outdoor supply container and immediately got to work.

The next thing I overhear is three children working at a coffee shop.

What kind of coffee would you like, mom?

Mom! I am making you a special kind of coffee!

Proof that even when colors quickly combine to make a dark shade of brown, kids continue to persevere through play. It was delightful to overhear.

When will you recycle markers into watercolors?