Make it rain letters!
Did you ever explore invisible ink as a child and write secret notes to your friends? This activity is a fun way to explore invisible ink without a fancy kit. The end result creates raindrop-like marks on paper. Grab a white crayon, some watercolors, and get creative with this fun activity!
🖌️More is better! Encourage children to apply a lot of watercolor to their paper to reveal each letter and fill in the blank space of the paper.
🎶 Sing a song! There are lots of songs about rain! Sing a song with your child while you paint!
🤫 Can you keep a secret? Older children will love this method to write secret letters!
Materials
For this activity you will need:
White crayon
Watercolors
Paintbrush
White paper
Water
Learning Outcomes
Domain
Language
Skills
Letter Recognition
Indicators:
Identifying the letters presented to them
Instructions
Step 1:
Using a white crayon, have your child write letters on the white paper. If they are still practicing their letters, you may need to write it for them or try hand-over-hand for support. Fill up the page with letters!
Step 2:
Dip your paintbrush in water and in your watercolor paint (preferably blue to look like raindrops).
Step 3:
Paint over the entire paper to reveal the letters! Have your child announce the letter each time they uncover one.
Step 4:
Hang to dry and admire the artwork!
⬆️ For older preschoolers: Try this with sight words instead!
⬇️ For younger toddlers: Younger children may need a visual reference to match each letter. Try printing out the alphabet for them to match or focusing on a few letters at a time.
Playful Questions
How many letter A’s are on the paper?
How does the paper feel after you paint it?
Before you paint the paper, can you feel the outline of the letters from the crayon?
What would happen if we used different shades of crayons?
What would happen if we used different types of paint?