Handprint Black Cat

What you need

• black paint
• a sheet of orange or white paper
• a yellow crayon

How to do it

1. Brush a little black paint over one of your toddler's palms and fingers.
2. Help them press the hand down on its side, fingers pointing down like legs and the thumb sticking up like a tail.
3. Lift the hand straight up to show the cat's body.
4. Dab a round head at the front with a fingertip of paint and pinch two pointy ears out of it.
5. Once it is dry, draw a big yellow moon above the cat and add some whiskers.

Why it matters

Pressing a painted hand down and lifting it to find a cat shows them their own hand made the picture, and the cool paint on their skin is a big sensory moment.

What they're learning

Body awareness

Seeing the print their own hand leaves joins up what they feel with what they can see.

Pressing and lifting

Pushing down flat and lifting straight up is a careful hand movement they will use again for stamping and printing.

Sensory confidence

Getting a bit messy on purpose, with you right there, helps them feel at ease with new textures.

What to look for

Watch how they feel about paint on their hand. If they pull away, a single fingertip print can be the cat's head and you can paint the body.

A tip

Use washable, non-toxic paint and have a wet cloth ready before it comes out. A painted hand heads straight for the face.

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