Make a Handprint Butterfly

What You Need:

• Tempera paints
• Paint brush
• Construction paper (in a light color)

What You Do:

1. Ask your child to choose a color for her butterfly. This can either be imaginative or a realistic hue from a photograph.
2. Have her fold the construction paper in half.
3. Help her to paint one hand in its entirety.
4. Ask  her to place her painted hand onto the paper with her fingers spread open. Make sure her thumb is in the middle on the crease.
5. She can remove her hand, and then quickly fold the paper in half (like a book). Press firmly.
6. Open the paper to reveal a symmetrical butterfly shape.
7. Have her add an antenna, eyes, and patterns to the butterfly using her paint-dipped fingers. Set aside to dry.

Make sure she displays it on the wall for all to see!

For a follow up activity, try a size comparison exercise. Ask other family members with different sized hands (including yourself) to make the same project. Hang the butterflies next to each other and ask your child to name the small, medium, and large-sized butterflies.