DIY Scratch Art Crayon Reveal

Cardstock or thick paper (thicker paper holds up to scratching better)

Crayons in bright colors plus black

Scratching tools — a wooden skewer, popsicle stick, plastic fork, or the edge of a coin

Color an entire piece of cardstock with bright crayons. Fill every bit of white space. Use multiple colors in patches, stripes, or random sections. Press hard for thick, waxy coverage.

Cover the entire colorful surface with a thick layer of black crayon. This takes patience — press hard and go over the surface multiple times until no color shows through.

Now the magic begins. Use a wooden skewer, popsicle stick, or coin edge to scratch lines through the black layer.

Wherever you scratch, the bright colors underneath shine through against the black background.

Draw pictures, geometric patterns, fireworks, flowers, or write your name. Every scratch reveals a surprise color.

Experiment with thick and thin scratching. A wide coin edge gives bold lines; a pointed skewer gives fine detail.

Display the finished artwork. The contrast of bright colors on black is genuinely spectacular.

The black layer is the hardest part. It takes a lot of coloring and some hand fatigue. Encourage your child to take breaks if needed.

Adding a thin layer of dish soap mixed into black paint as the top layer (instead of black crayon) is an easier alternative that gives the same effect.

Oil pastels work even better than crayons for both layers because they are softer and more pigmented.

This technique has a real name — sgraffito — and it has been used by artists for centuries.

The surprise of not knowing which color will appear where you scratch adds an element of discovery that children find irresistible.