These are some samples of hand prints that can be done throughout the year. For some prints, the entire hand needs to be painted. However, for other prints, just the palm and the tip of a finger or thumb should be painted. Additions to some prints are done with markers and small pom poms.

September Apple October Pumpkin November Turkey December Reindeer January Penguin February Heart March Leprechaun April Bunny May Butterfly

Hand print paintings can be used when making calendars, may be made into a monthly booklet, or can be displayed in a variety of ways.

I chose to display the childrens' hand print pictures each month on our outside bulletin board. I laminated 1 piece of construction paper for each child in my class and punched holes around each edge. On each piece, I attached a small photo and the child's name using contact paper. If you view the February and April pictures above, you can see how I then 'sewed' each child's piece together to make a quilt. The quilt stayed up all year on our bulletin board. One or two days each month, I had helpers call back students during opening activities to paint each child's hand on a piece of white tag. When dry, each child's hand print was stapled above their name and photo.

• Hand print Calendar - from Mrs. Flanagan's Kindergarten
• Hand print Poems -from Can Teach

These ideas came from the great teachers who have shared
through Teachers.Net and Kinderkorner
and from Hand-Shaped Art by Diane Bonica
(Good Apple, 1989) ISBN 0-86653-474-1.