If your kids like to draw and doodle, making blackout pictures can be loads of fun. There is something magical about scratching away the black to reveal a rainbow of beautiful colors underneath, shining through to make an awesome picture. This project is so easy that even the littlest scribblers can enjoy drawing on the prepared blackout paper, if an adult or older sibling helps to prepare their “canvas.”
To get started all you need
to do is color a piece of blank paper with crayons, in a rainbow of colors. It
doesn’t really matter how good it looks, just make sure that the colors are
varied and the entire sheet of paper is covered.
Once you have the paper
covered in color, now take a black crayon and color over it completely. This
process can be a little time consuming, so younger children may need help to
get their paper ready for their creation. When the colors have been completely
blacked out, your kids will be ready to draw.
The kids can use a variety of
different tools to scratch away the black crayon and make colorful pictures by
exposing the colors on the paper. Try using popsicle sticks, forks, toothpicks
or even things like combs to make different types of lines and designs. Children
will be amazed at how pretty their pictures look against the black background.
For an added bonus, use a
thinner sheet of paper, no heavier than standard copier or printer sheets. With
a lightweight paper, you can hang the pictures on the window and the sunlight
will shine through the scratched away drawing, making the colors seem to glow
with the sunshine.
This activity is a great way
to spend a rainy summer day or can keep kids occupied when they are home sick
from school. The combination of creativity and the magical effect of making the
colors appear make this one a sure hit with any child who has an artistic eye.
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