Put your individual fingerprint on the 100th Day of School, literally with this activity. The student will put 100 of his thumb or fingerprints onto a pre-made tree trunk, creating a truly unique “Tree of Me.”
What You Need:
- White poster paper
- Brown magic marker
- Green finger paint or green ink stamp pad (washable, water-based ink)
What You Do:
- Prepare for this activity by drawing a tree trunk with a brown magic marker onto white poster paper. Leave room at the top of the trunk branches for a child to add his finger or thumbprints.
- Explain to your child that he will complete a “Tree of Me” by adding 100 of his own thumb or fingerprints to the tree branches.
- If you are using green finger paint, pour some onto a paper plate. Your child can dip his finger or thumb in that paint to make prints along the tree branches.
- If you are using an ink pad instead of finger paint, your child can press his thumb or finger onto the ink pad, and then press the same finger on the paper.
- Have him fill in the tree with exactly 100 thumbprint "leaves". Encourage your child to stop and count his prints every so often so he can keep track of his progress.
- The photograph of this project shows handprints also, but you can limit the tree to finger and thumbprints to make it easier for counting to 100.
Did You Know? Your fingerprint is unique. No two people have the same fingerprint, even if they are twins! Your relative may have a similar pattern to your fingerprint pattern, but not the exact same print. Your fingerprint stays the same no matter how old you are!
By Beth Levin
Beth Levin has an M.A. in Curriculum and Education from Columbia University Teachers College. She has written educational activities for Macmillan/McGraw-Hill and Renaissance Learning publishers. She has a substitute teaching credential for grades K-12 in Oregon, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.
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