How To Make Invisible Message Valentines

Through the years as a kindergarten teacher, I watched my students receive cards featuring their favorite characters, cards with lollipops attached and even homemade cookies and cupcakes, but I’ve never witnessed more excitement than the year I made each student an invisible message Valentine.

As a kid, is there anything cooler than receiving a secret message just waiting to be revealed? These Valentines are perfect for home or the classroom. The only materials needed to create and decode these invisible message Valentines are one piece of white card stock or paper per Valentine, a white crayon, and either a magic marker or a set of water colors. It’s that easy, not to mention frugal! {Scroll down to see full instructions.}

The best thing about these Valentines is that they can be personalized for each recipient. For my kindergarten class, I wrote short notes, such as “Your smile lights up the class!” And “You’re a great helper!” I saw how much these personalized messages meant to them when, on the last day of school months later, a student gave me a hug goodbye and said “You like my smile!”

Of course, if you’re not one for coming up with personalized messages, you can also easily go with a generic message, such as “You’re a great friend Valentine!” or “Happy Valentine’s Day!” Kids may also choose to create invisible design Valentines, filling their heart with doodles such as squiggles, dots, and zigzags, if writing words is too tricky.

Materials:

• 1 white crayon
• 1 piece of white cardstock per Valentine (white printer or copy paper will work in a pinch)
• Scissors
• A magic marker, watercolor paint, or watered down acrylic paint for the recipient
• Printable template (optional)

Instructions:

• Print the Printable Valentine Template on white cardstock or printer paper.
• Inside the heart, write your message using the white crayon. This can be a bit tricky. It helps to work in direct sunlight, as this will help you to see the marks you’ve made.
• Cut the heart out.
• Give the Valentine to the recipient with the instructions to color lightly with a magic marker, or paint with watercolors to make the message appear!

If writing an invisible message is too challenging, fill the heart with doodles such as squiggles, dots, zigzags and loops for an Invisible Design Valentine!