Introducing your little bundle of joy to art can be challenging - there are just so many choices. But there is one type of art that combines fun - and will also provide a keepsake that will bring a smile to both the little artists and parents, and this is hand art. There are so many ways those tiny hands can be used to make the wonderful world of creativity shine. Making art is just straight-up fun. It could be for that Mother’s or Father’s day gift, the festive season or a birthday, but who needs a special occasion?

Here are some great ideas to harness the creative talents of the youngest member of the family.

A Gift for that Special Day

Baby’s hands are the perfect way to apply non-toxic watercolor to paper. And they’re the perfect size to put an imprint of Mom or dad’s head on plain paper. Simply use a soft foam applicator and apply point to plams and fingers and press onto paper. Colors should reflect hair and skin - and then all that is left to do is to paint on a smile and add the body. Parents may have to help with that smile and with watercolors for the body - but make sure that baby is included in the fun.

Clay Fun

Clay is mushy and it’s the perfect highly tactile material to take a baby handprint. Potters clay is widely available from hobby shops. Simply cut out a section that is wider than that tind and help to gently push down the palm and fingers. Many of these types of clays can simply be left to dry or they can also be glazed in the oven after applying some bright and breezy colors. Make sure to punch a small hole in your clay palm art, add a string and you have the perfect hanging ornament. You could use it on that Christmas tree, or hang it from the car key holder. Add an adhesive hook to the refrigerator - the possibilities are endless.

Salt Dough Bowl

Another lovely tactile way of saving that tiny hand for prosperity this salt bowl makes the perfect gift for Grandparents, or simply as a place to put down those easily misplaced items (car keys, we’re looking at you). Salt dough is incredibly easy to make. All you are going to need is 2 cups of plain flour (all purpose is perfect), one cup of salt and one cup of water. Mix well and press baby’s hand down and cut around the imprint. Press into an appropriately sized bowl - after painting with acrylic paint and then using a sealer (there are even spray sealers available), dry in the oven at 100 degree (celsius) and you will have that incredible gift bowl ready in no time. Remember, the salt dough can be used in a variety of ways to capture the image on tiny palms and fingers.

It’s also worth noting that color can be added to salt dough while you are mixing. You can use food coloring or paint. err on the side of generosity - coloring added to salt dough tends to fade a bit once it dries.

Salt Dough Elf

We couldn’t resist adding another salt dough idea to the mix. Once again press that palm and tiny fingers into the salt dough. Cut around the edges and then apply green paint to the finger portion, with a red dot at the top - and there’s your elf’s floppy and happy hat. A red stripe immediately below that finishes off the cap design and the fringe of hair is painted on immediately below that strip. Add some blushing cheeks black dot eyes and a smile and you have the perfect baby palm print elf. Don’t forget to punch out the hole on the finger so that you can hang that elf up as a Christmas decoration.

Plam Print Giraffe

A friendly giraffe to liven up a cupboard or an art corner or even to place on the fridge door is as easy as 1,2, 3. This is another piece of art that will have baby smiling from ear to ear. It involves some squishy yellow paint and a bit of help from Mom or dad to fill in the tricky bits, but the end result is as cute as could be. Apply that yellow paint with a soft roller and help baby to press down on the paper. Remember, those finger imprints are going to be the ‘raffs legs so you’ll have to position them neat to the top of the page - then when you turn the paper around you have plenty of room for that impressive neck and smiling face. The thumb becomes a tail with the addition of a few brown brushstrokes and then add brown dots, the neck, and that smiley and friendly face.

Simple and from the Heart

This one is great - and deserves its place in the photo album. Parents (and even siblings) can try their hands at writing a heartfelt poem about the latest addition to the family. It’s a great family activity. All you need is 5 or six lines. Alternatively, there are many poems that are available from a huge variety of websites that celebrates the little ones. Try Etsy - they have some great suggestions. But don’t be afraid to make some small changes to ensure that your poem is a unique expression of love. That poem can then be printed out - but make sure you leave some room at the bottom of the page - because that is where those darling handprints are going to be immortalized. Once again some watercolors applied to tiny hands are great. make them as colorful as possible. Press and you are done. however, if you want to prevent fading and the powder for the handprints staining other pages in the baby album then pay a visit to your neighborhood arts and crafts shop. they have plenty of paint options - and many cn be sealed using a spray on sealant - which captures that moment in vivid color.

Rainbow Handprints

This idea takes watercolors or acrylic paint to a whole new level and adds a rainbow of colors to the finished piece. Apply color to tiny hands in ‘strips’. One stripe on the top of the fingers, the next below, and so on. Then press onto paper. Alongside that repeat the process. Aim to have an arc effect after you have repeated the process a few times. the result is a wonderful, colorful rainbow, which again is perfect for fridge art - or even framing for that perfect office or home desk expression. Of course, like each and every one of these baby handprint ideas it also makes a lovely gift from the heart.

Chicken Fingers

If you thought the giraffe was cute then the chicken is going to know your socks off. This time you won’t even have to turn the paper around. Some brown paint applied once again with the soft roller and then simply help the baby to leave that handprint on a plain white piece of paper. Fingers become the tail and the thumb becomes the perfect chicken neck and face. You may have to help out with that beak and details like eyes. And the wing, but that can really be minimal and applied with a few simple passes of a fine paintbrush. You’ll also have to paint the orange legs and feet. the beauty of this one is, much like the giraffe handprint you can also add some flowers, Mr. Sun, or even that barn in the distance. Who says baby should have all the fun when it comes to creativity?

Seasonal Signatures

this handprint project is great fun because it can be done all at once or throughout the first year of a baby’s life. it’s also one of those projects where you might want to splurge out on some high-quality block-mounted art paper. Each season is celebrated through a handprint. Use seasonally appropriate colors like brown and red (for fall leaves) for fall, blue for winter, yellow for summer, and perhaps a lovely shade of yellow, combined with green (baby’s hand could be at the top left of the appropriate block to represent the sun. This is one of those projects where the block-mounted art definitely deserves pride of place in hallways or even on a mantlepiece. They can be hanged or placed as the seasons roll around or completed all at once. Add some details such as raindrops (baby’s fingers dipped in the appropriate colors are perfect).

Bay handprints are the perfect way to celebrate those first years. They are projects that can be fun for the entire family and will provide a keepsake that provides joy for many, many years. Many of them aid in the development of tactile senses and will certainly provide some wonderful bonding opportunities.