Hand Print Craft Activity

Feel the paint! Blend the colors! I can do it!

A child delights in the surprise of seeing a colorful print of his own hand.

There are several ways to apply the paint, to make the print and to display the finished artwork.

You will need:

• Tempera paint (add a few drops of liquid detergent for easy cleanup)
• A brush or sponge
• Paper to print on (Newsprint, wallpaper, manila, construction)
• Newspaper for practice prints and to protect surfaces
• Plastic apron. Some soapy water and rag for clean up
• For a stamp pad: A tray or pie pan with a sponge, or a thin sheet of absorbent sponge-like packing foam, or a piece of felt or folded paper towel
  

Apply the Paint:

Brush it on:

Some children are able to handle a brush and apply paint on the hand by themselves. Most others will need help to brush it on. (Try more than one color on the same hand.)

Sponge it on:

Dip a sponge in paint and gently dab onto their hand, or let the child pat the sponge until the hand is coated.

Stamp it on:

Make a stamp pad, placing a damp sponge or thin sheet of packing foam on a tray, or in a pie pan. Spread a spoonful or two of tempera paint under the sponge or foam. The paint will ooze up through the sponge as the child pats to coat the hand.

 

Make the Print:

A careful print:

To make the print, the child will need help to spread out the hand and press firmly. If it is too hard to spread out the hand, first try a fist print or a “walk-a-row” with the pointer finger.

A freely patterned print:

Make random prints all over the paper. For some children it may be more rewarding to paint with both hands. A different color on each hand will add blending possibilities.

An all-in-a-row print:

Repeat the handprint in a colorful row.

Show them off!

There are endless ways to be creative with the finished prints by adding a few descriptive lines, or by cutting a shape around them.

Crown:

Attach one colorful print to a headband for stand-up feathers. A whole row of golden hands will make a king's crown. Many colored prints will form a leaf crown or add candles to a child's birthday crown.

Bird:

Use one print for a side-view wing, or two for a flying bird.

Butterfly:

Use two (or four) bright prints for wings, and add a black paper body with feelers. Cut out some for a mobile.

Flower:

Add fist print leaves and a 1-finger print stem for a flower, or make a garden row of blossoms.

Tree:

Working upside down, starting with the lower branches, overlap green handprints for a Christmas tree. Random pink and white prints can create a cherry tree.

Valentine:

Two prints will fit in a heart shape.

Border:

Combine a row of many prints for a colorful border for the bulletin board.

Take Home:

Handprints to take home will bring joy. Don't forget to add the child's name and date and make an extra one for grandma!

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