Handprint Help

[Michelle]

For Fathers day we are doing a cute handprint frame/poem gift and I have a lot of babies. Whenever I have done handprint crafts in the past with them they open and close their hands and smear their print etc.
I was thinking of using wax paper to try to get a good print and then just transfer it on the poem paper.
Has anyone ever done this?
Do you have any other ideas?

[spud912]

For hand prints, I take one child at a time and paint their hand with a paintbrush. Then I tell them and help them to spread their fingers. Then I carefully plant their hand down on the paper and press (like a stamp). The older kids hand prints usually turn out great. The younger toddlers and babies are usually a little smudged, but it is still recognizable.

[Kiki]

For hand prints, I take one child at a time and paint their hand with a paintbrush. Then I tell them and help them to spread their fingers. Then I carefully plant their hand down on the paper and press (like a stamp). The older kids hand prints usually turn out great. The younger toddlers and babies are usually a little smudged, but it is still recognizable.

This is exactly what I do. We do the hand prints for mothers Day and feet prints for fathers day.

[Michelle]

I know how to do handprints, what I am asking is how do you do it with 18 month olds or 13 month olds?
Any secret tricks? It has to be a handprint because it's a handprint poem.

[spud912]

I have two children who are now 18 months old that I have been doing hand print arts and crafts with since they were 12 months old. I do exactly what I said, but faster.

Sit the child in question in a chair so they can't run off (like a high chair). Paint the palm with a paint brush (this step they usually tolerate fairly well). Physically help them spread their fingers while saying "spread your fingers." Then quickly plant the hand down and press. Then I get them out of the chair, wash their hands and go to the next child. I would have extra sheets of paper just in case they botch the first hand print. Kids that age love to wipe their hand back and forth on the paper, so expect that they may need to try again.

I find that hand or foot print arts and crafts take a lot of MY time and energy, so I always try to give the other kids something different and fun to play with when it's not their turn. Just expect some tears in that age group, either because they don't like the feel of the paint or they all of a sudden want your undivided attention when you are with another child.

[Crazy8]

for the younger ones I have found it easier to do it when they are sleepy and I put the paper on a clipboard and do it while they are in my rocker/bouncer type seat. I usually have to pry their fingers open with one hand - so that hand usually is full of paint each time, LOL!

Usually at 18m+ they can do it at the table. I kind of "roll" their hand from write to fingers onto the paper to avoid the worst smudging.

[Unregistered]

I let them finger paint for a bit before to get their hands good and painty and have a few extra papers on hand.

I also do the "spread your fingers" bit and roll from the base of their hand up to the fingers.

[Abigail]

What poem are you using? I have to come up with a Father's Day poem still. I'm not sure if I am doing handprints (did that just for Mother's Day) or if I want to do FOOTPRINTS and find a good poem like follow in your steps or something.

[SunshineMama]

For hand prints, I take one child at a time and paint their hand with a paintbrush. Then I tell them and help them to spread their fingers. Then I carefully plant their hand down on the paper and press (like a stamp). The older kids hand prints usually turn out great. The younger toddlers and babies are usually a little smudged, but it is still recognizable.

I do the same. For our mother's day handprint, I had a helper come and we both worked with one child at a time. It cut down on the mess and really helped to have an extra person too