Back To School First Day Handprint Craft
Whether your kids are nervous or excited, help them get mentally and emotionally prepared for going back to school with this fun first day handprint craft!
For each of my kids’ first Christmases, I took their little hands and made handprint ornaments for us and all the grandparents.
And that started a thing: handprint art.
Kids change SO fast. Those adorable pudgy baby hands quickly turn into toddler hands, which grow into little kid hands, and all too soon, big kid hands.
It almost makes me cry thinking about how fast it goes because we’re now transitioning from little kid hands to big kid hands. 😭
When they were little (like toddlers, preschool, kindergarten, 1-3rd grades), we did tons of handprint art, and I’m still a huge fan of it. So, naturally, I had to bring it in as a back-to-school activity!
This first day handprint craft is a terrific way to start the year with fun ice-breaker activities. Every teacher needs those, right?
Not only are these back-to-school handprint art pages great for the classroom, but they’re also great to make at home or with grandparents.
This fun activity will get your students excited about a new school year AND creates special keepsakes that you want to hang up around the house (especially in a front-opening art display)!
If you’re searching for more back-to-school fun and inspiration, check out our Back To School Cupcakes and Free Back To School Coloring Pages!
Click the image below to enter your email address and grab this free back-to-school art pack! 👇👇
First Day Handprint Craft: Easy Back-To-School Artwork
Kids (even in the same family) can experience a huge range of emotions around going (back) to school.
I have found that doing a variety back-to-school activities like supply shopping, backpack shopping, and even arts and crafts helps to remove those first day jitters and build excitement for new adventures that await!
This first day handprint craft is the perfect, hands-on (pun intended!) activity to help kids get prepared and excited for a new school year.
Are you tired of forgetting those little changes that your kids experience as they grow and mature? Keep those special memories forever with this cute and easy-to-store memories time capsule!
Why Should Kids Do Handprint Art Activities?
Studies have shown that doing creative activities such as music and art help kids to develop well-rounded brains by building imagination, stronger critical thinking skills, better memories, and more.
Handprint art is a creative activity that uses paint (or ink) and your child’s hands (or sometimes fingertips). By pressing their handprint onto paper, kids create instant art – and they love seeing their handprints create new shapes!
Here are some reasons why handprint art with your kids will become a new favorite activity:
- Kids of all ages enjoy it (and it keeps boredom at bay)
- It’s affordable – only simple supplies are needed
- Not as messy as some other activities
- Easy way to create special keepsakes
- Great way to encourage and develop creativity and imagination
How To Do Handprint Crafts With Your Kids
As moms, we only have so much time. If you’re worried about how much mess this first day handprint craft will create, here are some times to make it more fun and less work.
Preparation Is Key
The key to success with almost anything is to take time to prepare. When it comes to preparing for crafts like this back-to-school handprint art, gather these common supplies before getting started:
- Washable craft paint
- Foam brushes (to “paint” the paint on hands and keep mess down)
- Table cover (or newspaper)
- Hand wipes to clean paint off quickly
- Markers to add details
- Large washable ink pads (offer bright colors without the splatter)
Print Templates On Cardstock Paper
Cardstock paper is thicker and sturdier, so I recommend it for painting and other art projects because it will be more durable and prevent paint from bleeding through.
Freeze For Wipe-ups
This is probably a remnant from my gymnastics teaching days when I would have the kids “freeze” after completing a skill to stick their landing.
When it comes to doing handprint crafts, I would have my kids “freeze” so they didn’t touch anything with paint on their hands until I could wipe their hands off with the wipes (or wash them in the sink, which was a little riskier)!
Click the image below to enter your email address and grab this free back-to-school art pack! 👇👇
Perfection Isn’t The Goal
Perfectionism (especially around art projects) is more prevalent than many people realize – even in kids. AND, funny enough, the standards of perfection differ from person to person.
I’m a HUGE fan of letting go of perfection and the STRESS it causes. Encourage kids to have fun and enjoy their unique piece of art. There are times when hands or fingers slip a little – it happens to EVERYONE!
Enjoy the experience and take pride in creating something uniquely yours!
Free First Day Handprint Craft Set
This free set of back-to-school handprint art templates includes a variety of styles with 10 color examples and 10 blank templates to create your own.
These pages have cute back-to-school phrases that kids can color. Here are the 10 different designs you’ll get:
- My First Day Of School Caterpillar
- We Are A Box Of Crayons
- The Adventure Begins
- Imagination And Knowledge
- Building Ideas With Friends
- I ❤️️ School
- School Bells Are Ringing Loud And Clear So Kids Can Surely Hear
- I’ve Always Loved The First Day Of School
- Success Is The Sum Of Small Efforts
- Learn As Much As You Can While You Are Young
Grab Your Free Pack of First Day Handprint Craft Templates
Woohoo! Your kids will LOVE this activity, and it will help them mentally and emotionally prepare for the first day of a new school year. Going back to school is always an adventure, so take time to approach it as a fun and exciting time!
Click the image below to enter your email address and grab this free back-to-school art pack! 👇👇
