I started doing handprint projects with my kids when they were about 9 months old. I now have a collection of hand prints in different sizes – a fun reminder of how they grow up each year.
Needless to say, most kids LOVE doing hand prints – they give them permission to be messy! Although I have to say that over the years I have come across several children who didn’t like to get messy and didn’t like the way the wet paint felt on their skin. Just try and see how your child reacts.
Instructions are hardly necessary for this project… simply paint the kids’ hands with washable paint, using a paintbrush. If they’re old enough they can paint their own hand. Then have them press their palm against white or off-white construction paper to create the print. They can decorate the print while still wet with glitter, or they can wait for it to dry and then decorate it with stickers, or glue beads, buttons and feathers to the print.
With little kids, it’s really fun to create footprints, by the way. Those little feet look just adorable on paper.
The only drawback to this activity: small kids tend to smear paint all over themselves before you have a chance to wipe the paint off their hands. So dress them accordingly (or undress them before doing this project), limit this activity to the kitchen or to the backyard, always use washable paint, and get ready for some messy fun!
Photo by woodleywonderworks
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for your sharing. Kids really love their fingers with color on paper. Some brand of washable paint seems not perfectly “washable”. What brand of paint do you use for your kid?
Hi April, I use Crayola Washable Paint because it’s available at the local store. We wash the paint off right after we’re done and stay away from porous surfaces.