Home › Christmas crafts for kids
✂️ Handprint reindeer: an easy Christmas craft for toddlers
Age: 2+ · Time: 30 min
Every year, those little hands grow a bit bigger, which is exactly why handprint crafts are so lovely. This reindeer takes about ten minutes of actual crafting (plus drying time) and makes a beautiful Christmas card, gift tag or framed keepsake.
It is ideal for toddlers and preschoolers, and older children enjoy making a whole herd with different expressions.
Tips
- Washable paint saves your table, your sleeves and your sanity.
- Make a couple of practice prints on scrap paper first.
- Use the back of an old Christmas card for gift tags.
Variations
- A whole family: print a grown-up's hand next to your child's for a big and little reindeer.
- Footprint reindeer: for babies, a footprint with the heel at the top makes a reindeer face, and you add handprint antlers.
- Snowy scene: print on dark blue card and add white fingerprint snowflakes.
For little helpers
Let your child choose where the eyes and nose go. Wonky reindeer have the most personality.
You need
- white or cream card (A4, folded in half for a card)
- brown washable poster paint
- a paintbrush or sponge
- a paper plate to use as a paint palette
- googly eyes or a black felt tip pen
- a red pompom, button or circle of red paper for the nose
- PVA glue or a glue stick
- felt tips or crayons
- baby wipes and an old shirt or apron
Steps
- Cover the table, roll up sleeves and put an apron or old shirt on your little one. Have wipes ready before you start.
- Squeeze some brown paint onto the paper plate. Brush it evenly over your child's palm and thumb (it tickles, which is half the fun). Leave the fingers unpainted, or paint them too for bigger antlers.
- Help your child press their hand firmly onto the card, fingers spread wide and pointing up: the palm is the reindeer's face and the spread fingers are the antlers. Hold the hand still for a count of three, then lift it straight up.
- Wipe hands straight away and leave the print to dry for about 20 minutes.
- Stick on two googly eyes near the bottom of the palm print, or draw eyes with a felt tip.
- Glue a red pompom or button just below the eyes for the nose.
- Let your child decorate the antlers with felt tip baubles, a scarf, or a sprinkle of snowy dots.
- Write your child's name and the year on the back. Grandparents treasure these.
Questions
My toddler won't keep their hand still. Any tips?
Try it after a nap when they are calm, make it a game ("Show me a big starfish hand!") and press gently over the back of their hand while counting. If it smudges, the next card is a fresh start.
Can I do this without paint?
Yes. Draw round your child's hand on brown paper or card, cut it out and glue it on. The fingers become the antlers.