Toddler Handprint Crafts
Preserving the handprints of children is a typical desire of parents and teachers alike. We all know how fast children grow and handprints are a great way to record a child's growth. Use activity time to create a lasting handprint craft that will become a cherished keepsake.
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Thanksgiving Turkey Placemat
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Help the toddler dip the palms of her hands in finger paint and press them down onto a blank sheet of large construction paper, to create a semicircle with the straight edge down. Overlap the handprints a little bit; you'll need about five to six handprints per child. These handprints will be the feathers of your turkey. Once the paper is dry, have the child glue a piece of brown construction paper (cut in the shape of a bowling pin) to the middle of the semicircle to create the body of the turkey. Allow the child to decorate her turkey with markers and other craft items.
Animal Handprints
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Create a wide variety of animals using toddler handprints. Simply use paint and the child's hand as a stamp to create the animal's body or trace the child's hand and allow him to cut it out. Next, flip the paper upside-down to find an animal with four legs and an extra appendage that can be used as an elephant trunk, a giraffe's long neck or just about any animal's tail. Allow your child to customize these animals with googly eyes, small pieces of construction paper, markers or paint pens.
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Mother's Day Apron
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Start with a white apron that has been washed and dried. At the waistline, have the child paint a horizontal green line (the grass line) and a perpendicular vertical line in the center (the flower stem). Next, have her dip her palms into green paint and place her hands along the stem line to create leaves. At the top of the stem line, have the child use her hands to create petals. Wash and dry the child's hands as she changes colors between leaves and petals. When it is dry, write her name and the date on the apron and wrap it up as a Mother's Day gift.
Paper Plate Frog Craft
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A simple craft for toddlers to make is a paper plate frog. Each child will paint the back of a large paper plate green. Then trace his handprints onto matching green construction paper and allow him to cut out his handprints. Glue these to the front (unpainted side) of the paper plate, thumbs pointing downward. Next, help the child cut two, half-dollar-sized circles out of white construction paper. He will color a black circle on the inside of the white circles to create the frog's eyes. Glue these to the top of the plate along with a 3-inch pink pipe cleaner mouth.
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References
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