• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Innovation Kids Lab

Empowering Curious Kids

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog

Pendulum Painting

Learn about the forces of motion and gravity with a new painting technique by exchanging the paint brush for a swinging pendulum. Engage your child with the combination of art and science for a STEAM learning activity.

STEAM is the combination of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. While you may be aware of the popularity of STEM learning, we believe “A” for Art should be added to create STEAM. It is with the addition of creative and critical thinking that will help your child be a successful problem solver and thinker.

The Science Behind Pendulum Painting

A pendulum is a fixed object hung from a point so it can swing freely back and forth due to the force of gravity. When discussing the concept with children a great example to use is a swing. As a the swing moves back and forth it is demonstrating the physics of a pendulum. The swing is moving back and forth due to the force of gravity on the swing.

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

Materials

Foam or Paper Cup, Scissors, String, Tape, 2 Chairs, Broom, Large Paper (We used a roll of brown craft paper), Plastic Tablecloth or other drop cloth

Tutorial

Step 1: Prep the workspace by covering the floor with a drop cloth.  Prep the pendulum by poking a hole in the bottom of the paper cup and one hole on each side of the cup underneath the rim. Tie a piece of string through the two holes on the side of the cup creating a handle for the cup.

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

Step 2: Place the broom horizontal across between the two chairs and slide the string tied cup to the middle of the broom.

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

Step 3: Before adding paint to the cup, test your pendulum with water. This is an easy way to make sure your work space is covered before adding paint. It also allows your artist time to experiment with swinging the cup.

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

Once your child is ready, place a piece of tape covering the bottom hole of the cup and fill the cup with a mixture of washable paint and water. It may depend on the thickness of your paint but we used a 2:1 ratio, 2 parts paint to 1 part water. Roll out and place your paper underneath the pendulum.

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

Remove the tape and swing the cup. Observe what patterns the pendulum creates on the paper.

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

Step 4: Let the painting dry completely.

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

Experiment with different timing of swinging the cup, different lengths of string, or lowering and raising the cup.

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

Afraid of the Mess?  Try it Outside!

This project can get a bit messy (but with a drop cloth it was very easy to clean up).

If the ideas of painting inside scares you…try taking the pendulum painting outside. We used a DIY washable sidewalk paint to test the pendulum outside.

DIY Washable Sidewalk Paint Recipe

1/3 c. of cornstarch

1/3 c. of water

tablespoon of Washable Paint

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Be sure to test the paint in a small spot first to make sure it will wash off. We have found some different brands of paint wash off easier than others.

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

STEM Activity: Pendulum Painting

Questions to Ask Your Child:

  • What pattern is the pendulum making with the paint?
  • What happens if you swing the pendulum gently or swing it more forcefully?
  • What does the painting look like or remind you of?

You may enjoy these other STEAM activities

How to Turn STEM into STEAM with Build a Bug Habitat

Build a Bug Habitat

Put your engineer and design skills to the test with this STEAM CHALLENGE: Build a Rain Shelter

engineer_block_2

Science Rocks! Put your observations skills to the test with this open-ended science observation activity. science_rocks_materials

 

 

 

For additional STEAM activities be sure to check out our ebook, STEAM: Preschool Activities for STEM Enrichment. 

 

View Previous View Next
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Action Painting
    • Chihuly Inspired Action Art
    • Action Painting with Gumballs
    • Action Painting with Ooblek
    • Kick the Can Action Painting
    • Pendulum Painting
    • Introduction

Footer

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

© 2025 Innovation Kids Lab · Rainmaker Platform

  • Home
  • About
  • Blog