Disappearing Ink
Disappearing ink is surprisingly easy to make and can inspire children to incorporate it into 'Famous Five' type 'mysteries'. In a small empty pot - a yoghurt pot is ideal - mix together four drops of lemon juice, four drops of onion juice and 17 grains of granulated sugar - they really do need to be counted out! Children dip a cocktail stick into the solution to write a message on paper, pressing gently so they don't leave any indentations that would give their message away. The writing will disappear when dry but the messages can be revealed when the paper is held over a bright light bulb.
Puffy paint
Special paint that dries with a raised, puffed-up effect is expensive to buy, but can easily be made, and always looks effective. Mix together a cup each of flour, salt, water and powder paint, by pouring the ingredients into an empty washing-up liquid bottle and shaking it to combine them. To use the paint, children need to squeeze the mixture on to paper in the desired design. It will puff up as it dries.
Earthy inks
Choose a fruit or vegetable to chop finely or crush, and place in a pan.
Cover with a little water and leave overnight. The next day, add more water - two cups of water to one of foodstuff - and simmer on a low heat for about an hour. Allow to cool, then strain the mixture through a piece of muslin, collecting the resulting ink. It's fun to experiment, discovering what works and which colours are revealed. Some are as expected - spinach makes green and beetroot makes pink, but there are also some surprises - carrots make yellow and cabbage makes purple for instance. Remember to use aprons and to protect tables and so on as natural inks may stain.
Ink magic
Ask the children to draw a black spot with a felt tip in the centre of a circle cut from an unused coffee filter. The filter is curled around to fit into a cup of water, with the bottom in the liquid. The water will flow up the filter and when it reaches the circle there will be an explosion of colour. The different colours will slowly spread to the top of the filter, revealing the components of the black ink. Alternatively, children can put the circle down and drip water on to their spot to see the colours spread out in rings to the outside edge. Different brands of black pen will achieve different results, making experimenting more interesting.
Image Maker
Image Maker is a paste product by Dylon, which can be used to transfer photocopies of children's own work on to fabric, which can subsequently be used for other projects. The photocopy is placed print side up on silver foil, and the paste is spread evenly over the surface. The copy is then placed wet side down on the fabric, and is gently worked on with a rolling pin for one minute. Once dry, the paper is removed and the image is revealed on the fabric. A final layer of the paste is rubbed into the image, and once dry it is sealed. After 72 hours, the fabric is washable.
Only children over eight years of age should use the paste.
Egyptian printing
Children can replicate Egyptian printing methods by placing a piece of kitchen foil, folded into three layers for thickness, on to a flat piece of foam. Using a blunt instrument they draw a design on the foil, making an indentation.
The children then roll paint over the foil with a paint roller, applying an even coat and prints can then be taken from the foil. It's worth having books containing examples of Egyptian art for inspiration, or you could download a guide to writing names in symbols to be found at www.kidszone.ws/cultures/Egypt/hierogylph.htm.
Remember that if you are writing hieroglyphics as oppose to just creating designs, it will matter that the printing process will reverse everything, so make initial, light indentations, then turn the foil over and trace over the lines with a heavier hand to make the final indentations to print form.