The motion of a large neutrally-buoyant object immersed in a 2D bubbling fluidized bed was simulated using a Monte Carlo method. The object vertical trajectory within the bed was simulated for a range of dimensionless gas velocities using a simple 1D model. The main characteristics of the object motion were obtained from the trajectory simulation and compared with experimental evidence giving good results. On a second step, the time scale of the motion is introduced in the simulated data by means of well-known 2D correlations for the bubble and dense phase velocity. The circulation time of an object (from the instant when it leaves the freeboard and sinks in the dense phase till the moment it reappears back in the surface) was then obtained and compared with experimental data, showing a general agreement. Finally, an extrapolation for a 3D fluidized bed was made following a similar procedure. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.