Fingerprint Animals

Materials You Need: Washable finger paints / non‐toxic paints;  A shallow dish for mixing paint; Paper; Aprons or old clothes; A tablecloth; An old flannel.

What You Can Do Together: Start by preparing everything you’ll need, both to get creative and to clean up as you go (especially with younger children). Ask the children which animals they’d like to create. They might choose a cat, an elephant, a mouse, a turtle… or several animals to create a farm, zoo or rainforest scene!

Next, get the paints out! You could use a shallow dish to mix some paints together – perfect for teaching children how to make new colours. Ask the children to press their fingers or thumbs into the paint and then onto the paper to create the animal heads and bodies. Allow the paint to dry, then ask the children to draw on details, such as ears, stripes, tails – whatever they need to complete their fingerprint creations!

Older children might like to get even more imaginative with their fingerprints to create a whole scene, like a fingerprint sea around a turtle or some grass and trees around an elephant. It can be difficult for younger children to resist the urge to smudge and swirl their fingerprints around the page. Provide them with an extra sheet of paper so they can smudge and swirl to their heart’s content!

What Your Child is Learning: Little ones never tire of getting the paints out! This creative activity allows children to express themselves with colour and detail as they make their favourite animals using their fingerprints!