DLTK's Crafts for Kids Sunshine Handprint Craft This is a fun and simple handprint craft that makes a great rainy day project during the summer (come out Mr. Sun!!)  You can sing the Mr. Sun song or the You Are My Sunshine song while making the craft.  That is what Patricia did with her class while making this craft for their bulletin board. There are two versions of this craft listed on this page:  an all paper version and a paper plate version. Substitute fun foam for paper in the all paper version to make a cute keepsake that will last for years! Check out the Handprint Poems on the site if you would like to include one with the craft.

Directions:

• Use a pencil to trace a dinner plate onto a piece of yellow construction paper.  This will be the inside circle of your sunshine.
   
• Cut out the circle around the line you traced (this can be done by an adult prior to craft time if you are working with a group of small children).
   
• Trace the child's hand onto yellow construction paper 4 to 8 times and cut them out. 
  • The number of handprints you need depends on the size of the plate you used and the size of your child's hand. 
  • You should have enough prints to go around the plate without overlapping them too much.
     
• Glue the yellow handprints around the circle without overlapping them too much.
   
• Trace the child's hand onto orange construction paper the same number of times as you did with the yellow.
   
• Glue the orange handprints behind the yellow ones, staggering them so the orange peeks out between the yellow (that was more complicated to explain than it is to do *laugh*... just peek at the picture at the top of this page to see what it looks like)
   
• Draw a face on the plate using markers using store bought wiggly eyes if you like.

PAPER PLATE VERSION:

Materials:

• paper plate (large or small)
• yellow tempra or poster paint
• paintbrush
   
• pencil
• yellow and orange construction paper
• scissors
• glue or glue stick
   
• markers
• OPTIONAL:  wiggly eyes

Directions:

• NOTE:  I like making the bottom of the paper plate be the face of the sun (I like how it looks sticking out a bit), but it's ok if the child wants to make the inside of the plate be the face -- let them choose which way they want to do it.
   
• Paint the side of the plate that is going to be the face of the sun with yellow tempra or poster paint.
   
• Set the plate aside to dry and have the child help clean up themselves, their work area and the paintbrush.
   
• Trace the child's hand onto yellow construction paper 4 to 8 times and cut them out. 
  • The number of handprints you need depends on the size of the plate you used and the size of your child's hand. 
  • You should have enough prints to go around the plate without overlapping them too much.
     
• Glue the yellow handprints around the circle without overlapping them too much.
   
• Trace the child's hand onto orange construction paper the same number of times as you did with the yellow.
   
• Glue the orange handprints behind the yellow ones, staggering them so the orange peeks out between the yellow (that was more complicated to explain than it is to do *laugh*... just peek at the picture at the top of this page to see what it looks like)
   
• Draw a face on the plate using markers using store bought wiggly eyes if you like.

Printable version of these instructions