PAINTED HANDPRINT SUNSHINE
Draw a large circle on a white sheet of paper. Make a DOT in the center of the page as a guide for the handprints. Invite the children to use a small paintbrush to paint the palm of one hand with washable tempera paint (our kids used orange and yellow.) Make handprints in a circle, turning the page to make the prints (younger children will need assistance). Let dry overnight. Have the children make faces on their paintings (or have the children explain what kind of face they would like to have drawn for them.)
FRINGE-EDGED SUNSHINE CRAFT
Materials: 1 Paper plate per child, 2 pieces of yellow construction paper and 1 piece of orange construction paper per child, markers, glue (or stapler), safety scissors. (For younger children, print the triangles .pdf and cut out or assist them with scissor skills. Older children can cut their own triangles from construction paper or cut the triangles from the .pdf file.) Triangles for Sunshine Craft
Make a circle from the yellow construction paper by tracing around a paper plate. Have the children decorate the yellow circle any way they desire. Older children may want to add facial features. Invite the children to “fringe” the edges of the circle by cutting small straight lines around the edge of the circle (younger children will need assistance.) Set the yellow circle aside until later. For help with fine motor and scissor skills, please see The Ultimate Scissor Guide for Preschoolers!
Have the children cut out the triangles from the file above. Older children may wish to cut their own from pieces of construction paper. The children can glue the triangles to the edge of the paper plate (uncoated ones work best) or ask an adult to staple the triangles to the edge of the plate.
After the triangles are attached to the paper plate, glue the yellow “fringed” sun to the center of the paper plate.
CLASSROOM HANDPRINT CRAFT
Material: One large white circle, yellow and orange construction paper, markers, glue sticks, and safety scissors.
Have the children decorate a large white circle with markers or bingo dot markers. Let the children assist each other in tracing around their hands (younger children will need adult assistance.) Some children may be able to cut their handprints independently, but most children, 4 and under, will need assistance. Turn the large white circle face down and let the children glue the handprints around the white circle, overlapping slightly.
The sunshine crafts are fun to create even when the sun isn’t shining this summer!
For more ways to play, create, and learn all summer long, see the SUMMERTIME THEME designed just for preschoolers!