Handprint Fish

Handprint art is fun to make with kids and they make great keepsakes! This handprint fish craft is such a fun and simple project to make with young kids.

RELATED: Fish Handprint Craft For Father’s Day

Handprint Fish Craft

We painted a canvas blue which makes this handprint art the perfect keepsake, but you can also use some cardboard and cut it down into a rectangle. Give it a coat of blue paint and set it aside to dry completely before you make the handprints. Another alternative is blue or white cardstock.

For the handprints, we used orange non-toxic tempera paint to make cute goldfish, but you can use whatever color of paint that you’d like!

Supplies Needed

• Paint – non-toxic tempera paint, orange and white
• Paintbrush – medium-sized
• Blue cardstock – or cardboard or canvas, painted blue
• Googly eyes – 1 per fish
• Hot glue gun – for the pipe cleaner (used with adult assistance)
• Pipe cleaners – green, to make the seaweed
• Scissors
• Black marker – to draw the fish mouth

How to Make a Handprint Fish

1. Make the handprint.

Apply a coat of orange paint onto your child’s hand – we like to use non-toxic tempera or acrylic paint.

For easy clean-up, have baby wipes or a dampened paper towel handy.

Guide your child’s hand onto the blue cardstock or painted canvas and have them press their hand down to stamp their handprint.

We positioned the hand so that the thumb becomes the top fin, so keep this in mind when placing their hand on the paper.

Help your child remove their hand from the paper.

If you’re doing another fish, apply more paint onto their hand to make a fresh print.

2. Make the bubbles.

Apply white non-toxic tempera paint onto one of your child’s fingertips.

Guide them in stamping their finger, forming bubbles, on the palm side of the handprint. You can also glue on white pom poms, sequins or buttons to make bubbles.

Once you are done stamping bubbles, allow the paint to dry.

3. Make the face.

Glue one googly eye onto the handprint. Use a black marker to draw a small smile.

4. Make seaweed.

Bend green pipe cleaners into gentle waves, trimming them into different lengths to fit around your handprint fish. Arrange them onto the paper and, with adult assistance, hot glue into place.

Once all the seaweed is attached, use the marker to write your child’s name and the date on the back of the paper or canvas.

This project makes a great keepsake, or you could even turn it into a card for any occasion. Use the phrase “o-FISH-ally” as a playful pun: “You’re o-FISH-ally 8 years-old!” or “It’s o-FISH-al: happy birthday!” Also see our fish handprint craft for Father’s day.