Hidden Message Headstones

Here’s an activity you could do anytime during November, the Month of the Holy Souls (or save the idea for next Hallowtide). I made these “Hidden Message Headstones” for a church event, and now plan to let my students use them this week too. Inspired by the custom of visiting cemeteries, especially this first week of November, and the history of creating grave rubbings to record memorial information, I made a set of cardboard headstones with puffy paint for the students to make rubbings of. But the messages on the headstones were reminders to pray for the dead and point to our hope of the resurrection. I also made an info sheet for the back for the kids and parents to read more about the “hidden message.”

Here’s some details if you want to do this yourself:

• The cardboard I used was about 12x18”. You could do any size, as long as it is smaller than the paper for the rubbings.
• I used craft/fabric “puff paint” to write and make designs. I originally wanted everything to be gray, but the store didn’t have gray paint, so white it was. I wanted the cardboard and paint to be the same color so that the message was more “hidden.” (I wonder if you could spray paint the whole thing gray? 🤔)
• I lightly wrote out the words in pencil to give myself a guide, but didn't worry too much about it being perfect.
• Note that even if the bottle says 4 hour dry time, count on a lot longer. Mine were still tacky 24 hours later.
• Use large, thin paper for the rubbings. Newsprint would be perfect, copy paper works, or thin construction paper (what we used).
• Peel the wrapping off black crayons and show the kids how to rub them sideways. Large or triangular shaped crayons work especially well. Circular motions or going in two different directions will capture more detail.
• Make sure they read the meaning of the hidden message on the back of the headstone!

You can watch a video of me making these here.

Click here for the info pages I taped on the back (which also gives you a list of the phrases on the headstones):

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May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace!