Invisible Ink Painting 

Miss R has recently become interested in secrets. Anything promised to be insider information is appealing to her — so much so that she’ll often tell me she has a secret, motion me to come over to her, only to whisper gibberish in my ear. Her hope is that I’ll play along and theatrically decipher whatever it is she’s saying. She’s usually tickled by the random “secrets” I come up with, especially if I utter them back to her with hushed enthusiasm. Her fascination may have something to do with the Nancy Clancy chapter book series — we’re reading it nightly and it’s ripe with stories of sleuthing and secrets. So, in the spirit of all things undercover, we decided to have fun with a crafty secret-note-writing system. This activity may be old hat to some, but I hadn’t played around with it since my own childhood.

Here’s what your super sleuth kiddo needs: 

• white crayon
• white paper
• watercolor paints and paintbrush

Draw a secret message or design on the paper with your white crayon.

After dipping your paintbrush in water, apply watercolor paint to the paper. The hidden message will become clearer and clearer as you paint over it.

This activity was a welcome respite from yesterday’s packing and organizing frenzy. My house was in shambles as I prepared for our summer travels (which start today!) while my princess tornadoes made messes in my trails.

I’d love to hear about any other secret-themed crafts you have hiding up your sleeve!