Handprint Crafts

What children will make

This set uses a child's hand as the starting shape for simple paper crafts. Children can trace a hand, add drawn details, colour the pieces and join them with glue to make animals, plants and familiar objects. Younger children can work with large outlines and adult help for cutting. Older children can add patterns, write a name or short fact, and arrange several handprints into a scene. The activities sit well beside our Paper Crafts for Kids collection.

Ideas for home and class

At home, choose one craft after a nature walk or story time, then display it on the fridge or in a small art folder. In class, children can work in pairs, with one child tracing and the other holding the paper still. Make a handprint gallery by grouping animals, plants and objects on a noticeboard. You can also use the finished pieces for a short speaking activity, such as naming the animal, describing its colour or saying where it lives. Add the crafts to a seasonal art table without needing a long preparation period.

Helping with tracing and cutting

The most common difficulty is keeping the hand still while tracing. Ask your child to spread the fingers gently, press the palm flat and use a pencil held upright. If the lines are uneven, keep them as part of the picture rather than starting again. Children may also cut across narrow spaces between fingers. Show them how to turn the paper slowly while the scissors make small snips. An adult can cut the tricky sections for younger children, while the child takes charge of colouring, arranging and gluing.