Toddler Art with with Mirrors and Dry Erase Markers

Mirrors and dry erase markers with glass beads: a drawing activity and fine motor fun for toddlers and preschoolers.

Sometimes we do an activity and I get so excited about it I can’t wait to share it with you. I’ve felt that way all day today!  I love incorporating mirrors into our art and sensory activities here in my daycare. The hooligans love to explore and create on a mirrored surface, and seeing their reflections and the refection of the items they’re playing with.

It’s also really fun for the kids to look down and see the ceiling or the sky – something that they’d normally have to look up to see.  Playing on a mirror gives a new perspective to the world around you .

This morning, we were doing something new with our mirrors.   We were drawing on the mirrors with dry erase markers and decorating them with colourful glass beads!  And it. was. cool.

Mirrors for play –  why a mirror makes a great play surface:

A mirror is a wonderful surface for a child to play on.  We’ve painted shaving cream “clouds” on our mirror, and explored sensory materials on our mirror.  We even used a mirror as our Autumn Sensory Table this past fall.

It’s fascinating to see the reflection and the under-side of the objects you’re playing with, and the children are always amazed when they realize that they’re looking DOWN at something they normally have to look UP to see: the sky, the clouds, the canopy of the trees or in today’s case, the living room ceiling.

The hooligans also love seeing their own faces looking back at them as they play.

What kind of mirrors do we use for play?

Until now, we’ve used a full-length wall mirror for our play surface.  Recently however, I was in the dollar store, and I spotted some mirrored tiles.

The tiles are about 12″x12″, and I immediately thought of the mirror play activity that The Imagination Tree shared recently.

I picked a couple of tiles up for $2.00 apiece, knowing we could do something creative with them.

Drawing on a mirror with dry erase markers:

The other day, the idea came to me.  Knowing that a dry erase marker would wipe easily off the mirrors, I planned this drawing/fine-motor activity for the girls.

Supplies for our mirror and dry erase marker activity:

For your convenience I’ve included affiliate links in this post.  When you shop through these links, I receive a small commission from any purchase you make.  Thank you!  I appreciate your support!

• small mirror
• dry erase markers
• paper towel or soft cloth
• glass beads or plastic rocks

I gave each of the girls a mirror, a piece of paper towel and a dry erase marker.  I placed a piece of cloth under each mirror to protect the table, and I placed a container of beads and crystals between them.

The glass beads and plastic rocks that we use for activities like this are actually sold as vase fillers in most craft stores and dollar stores.  I’ve also provided affiliate links above in case you can’t find them in your local stores.

I started things off by drawing some hearts, flowers, letters and small circles on the mirrors, and the girls filled in the drawings with their beads.

Then I showed them how they could wipe their mirror clean and draw their own pictures, and they were off to the races.  

They spent the next hour drawing their own pictures, and decorating them, and then wiping the mirrors off and starting all over again.

This activity was so fun!  The sensation of drawing on a slick piece of glass is really neat, and picking up those tiny gems and placing them just so was great for fine-motor skills..

 Then there was the colour sorting and patterning and the lovely sound of the stones clattering on the glass . Even sifting through the bin of cool, smooth beads and gems is a wonderful sensory experience, and always a treat for little ones.

I have a feeling this is going to become a regular activity around here!

If you liked this activity, you may like these as well:

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Jackie Currie

Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.