'secret' Writing

[Guest heleng]

In our Foundation class (mixed Nursery/ Reception) we are planning some work based on superheros/ spies and are trying to think of all those ways of doing 'secret' writing that you then have to do something else to, to be able to see the results (if you see what I mean)

 

We are going to write with white wax crayons on white paper and then wash over with paint. Writing with a wax candle and then painting over. Writing with lemon juice and then gently heating. Any other ideas that makes writing appear/ disappear?

 

 

We are also going to make binoculars and periscopes, have out magnifying glasses and clues for the children to follow to make discoveries. Ink pads for finger printing. We will have things like giant talc foot prints on the floor (our caretaker loves this one!) and things like that. Any other fantastically good ideas?

[HappyMaz]

Not sure about fantastically good, but I think Crayola do a range of felt tipped pens that when you colour over some writing with a special pen, the original writing turns into another colour.. might be good for writing messages on coloured paper.

 

Sounds like great fun - specially like the talc foot prints!

 

Maz

[nickylear]

mixing bicarbonate of soda & water & then heating works well.

 

1 teaspoon soda & 2 tablespoons water, paint on water & back for 10 mina or so.......my book suggests making a map & marking a secret route.

 

Using papter that's been painted with tea & dired & then painting with lemon juice makes a good contrast.

 

Hope you have fun

[Panders]

You can also get those ink eraser pens from WHSmith - they only work with the washable ink type cartridge pens I think, but also some of the Berol handwriting pens too.

 

On a different thread they were talking about lifting fingerprints using a talc dusting over the surface and "lifting" the prints with cellotape, then taping it to black paper.

 

Could you show them how to disguise their equipment to look like something else - a walkie talkie they have made from a box, a straw and write some numbers or dials on them, but put it in something else - sorry rambling now........ I know what I mean but can't write it!!

 

Are you old enough to have seen the t.v. series Joe 90 - it was made by the Thunderbirds team and it was about a boy spy, who wore special glasses and had lots of gadgets in his briefcase I seem to remember, there might be something on Youtube I suppose!

[nickylear]

in a thread about writing boxes a few days ago there were a few good spy ideas......we've also made newspapers from flipchart paper & cut holes into so the kids can spy on each other.

 

Some children in my class used the junk box modelling to make secret spy cameras so that when we were out of the classroom we’d know if anyone had been in.... We’ve had budding spies in our class since day one….the kids are really good at keeping this going & we are happy to help extend it.

[Steve]

Are you using a warm iron to reveal the lemon juice? You can use milk in the same way and if you have a pen with a nib and cartridge, just fill it up with milk instead of ink.

[Upsy Daisy]

Are you using a warm iron to reveal the lemon juice? You can use milk in the same way and if you have a pen with a nib and cartridge, just fill it up with milk instead of ink.

 

Are you giving away secrets from a former life as a spy Steve?

 

You can get pens which have invisible ink which lights up under a little ultra-violet light which comes with them. You can also get glow in the dark pens which also glow much brighter with a small blacklight. You would need to provide a very dark space to view it though.

[Guest]

Write with a candle (or white wax crayon) then paint over to show up the message.

[Guest]

Write on the top sheet pressing hard, then take that sheet away and gently rub over the next sheet with pencil, like doing a brass rubbing, to reveal the writing. That's what they always do in the crime novels I read anyway!

[Guest]

I just found some 'secret message pens' in our local Yorkshire Trading Company shop - 3 for £0.99. Haven't tried them yet.