I love how these simple 4th of July hand print flags turned out! Hand prints are always in season and are always a welcome keepsake.

4th of July Hand Print Flag

Although this simple painting looks like “product art”, which I believe there’s room and purpose for in Early Childhood Education, there’s more than meets the eye. Consider the following:

We used blue paint mixed with glitter paint to make the hand print sparkle. As little or as much as desired can be added. Squeezing. Stirring. Mixing. Experimentation.

The child can dip their hand into the paint on a paper plate and feel the squishy, cool paint, textured with glitter. Watch as they lift their hand and look at it, seeing if they’ve covered their hand with paint. If not, then problem solving comes into play. Again they place their hand on the plate and try to get paint on that last finger. Or an older child might paint their hand with a brush, using both hands, involving eye hand coordination and greater fine motor skills. Making a print while holding their paper and seeing if it’s been “successful”. All these things can be modified for younger and older children.

Then the child painted stripes. I demonstrated painting stripes from left to right, an activity that allows you, as a parent or instructor, to observe hand dominance and crossing the midline. It allows the child to practice fine motor skills with control. Left to right is a concept needed later too, for reading.

Not only is there FUN, celebrating, colorful art created, there’s valuable work being done and a pride in giving mommy and daddy a special keepsake.

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