by A Kairi

Created on: December 09, 2008

Winter is on its way and soon many a bored child will be looking for activities to occupy the many hours they will spend indoors hiding form Jack Frost. Nearly every child likes to pretend that they are a secret agent, so help your fledgling international person of mystery by teaching them how to make invisible ink. This ink is non-toxic, can be made with an item that is often found in your kitchen and is a breeze to make. The project also require little cleanup and little preperation so it is a great one to get kids involved in.

The project requires only lemon juice, a Q-tip or paint brush to write with and some white paper to right on. You may also use paper in other colors provided the color is very light. If you use too dark of a paper the invisible ink will not be able to be read like it should after you have taken steps to reveal the secret message.

To begin pour some lemon juice into a small bowl. You may use either fresh squeezed lemon juice, or more convenient bottled lemon juice both will do the job just fine and bottled juice is often already strained saving you a step. If you choose to use fresh squeezed lemon juice be sure to strain out any pulp.

When you have prepared your fresh squeezed or bottled lemon juice the next step is simple. Have you, or your child, dip the Q-tip or paintbrush in the lemon juice and use it to write the secret message on the sheet of paper. Make sure to let the ink dry before performing the next step.

After the ink has dried, you or your recipient will be ready to read the secret message. Heat will reveal the secret message but an open flame is not required. The secret message can be revealed by placing the paper in bright sunlight or by holding it close to a light bulb. The message will darken to a light brown color allowing the message to be read. It is important that children have adult supervision with this step. Though an open flame is not required, holding paper too close to a light bulb can cause it to catch fire.

You can have children participate in this activity from the beginning or you can strain lemon juice into a small bottle and put it in a small case with other items such as a small spyglass and binoculars to make your child a homemade spy kit. The spy kit will make a great Christmas gift also. Once the gift has been opened however, you will need to store the invisible ink in the refrigerator, otherwise the lemon juice will turn sour.

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