Handprint Christmas tree craft for toddlers

Age: 2+ · Time: 25 min · For: Ages 3–5

Few things are as lovely as a Christmas tree made of your child's own little hands. Each green handprint is a branch, and together they make a cheerful, slightly wild tree that you will want to keep for years.

It makes a beautiful Christmas card, a poster for the door, or a framed gift for grandparents.

What your child does, where you help

Your child: chooses the greens, presses the prints and adds the fingerprint ornaments.
You: paint the hands, guide the rows and keep the wipes handy.

Variations

Family tree: everyone in the family adds a hand, from big to small.
Footprint trunk: use a brown footprint as the trunk.
Snowy tree: add white fingerprint snow on dark blue paper.

Safety

Use washable, skin-friendly paint and wash hands well afterwards.

You need

a large sheet of white or light-colored paper or cardstock (11 x 17 inches is ideal)
green paint, ideally in two or three shades (washable finger paint or tempera paint)
a little brown and yellow paint
a sponge or wide brush
a flat plate or lid for the paint
baby wipes, a bowl of water and a towel
a pencil

Steps

Lightly draw a large triangle on the paper as a guide, with the point at the top.
Spread green paint on the plate. Brush it onto your child's palm and fingers with the sponge.
Help your child press their hand onto the paper, fingers pointing down, starting with a row of prints along the bottom of the triangle.
Add a shorter row above, then a shorter one, until you reach the top with one print. Use different shades of green for a lively tree.
Clean hands with wipes in between colors.
Add a brown trunk with a brush or a fingerprint, and a yellow star on top with a thumbprint.
Once dry, add colorful fingerprint ornaments. Write your child's name and the year on the back.