# Handprint Turkey Family Portrait
> Paint each family member's palm and fingers in turkey colors and print a row of handprint turkeys on a canvas. Add a fingerprint-leaf fall tree, a sun, grass and an 'Our Family' caption for keepsake wall art.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/thanksgiving-art/
- Ages: 2–6 yrs · Difficulty: medium · Mess: high
- Time: prep 10 min, activity 45 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group · one batch serves about 2 kids
- Skills: fine-motor, colors, patterns, following-directions, early-writing, family
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 piece Canvas
- Acrylic paints in turkey colors
- Paint brushes
- Markers
- 1 piece Paper plate or paint palette (household)
- Wet wipes or soap and water (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of acrylic paints: Washable paint (The author says you could easily use washable paint if you are not working on a canvas, e.g. printing on paper instead.)

## Safety
- Acrylic paint is not taste-safe. Watch toddlers closely so painted hands don't go in mouths, and wash hands right after printing.
- Acrylic paint doesn't wash out of clothes once dry. Dress kids in old clothes or smocks and protect the floor or table.
- Supervise painting at all times.

## Before you start
- Plan the layout and order of handprints ahead of time. The author says it took a lot of planning with two kids.
- Set out paints, brushes and a palette, and protect the floor or table.

## Steps
1. Paint a palm in a turkey color (copper or brown) and each finger a different color. Older kids can paint a grown-up's hand with the brush.
2. Check that the whole palm and every finger are covered in paint.
3. Press the painted hand firmly onto the canvas with fingers spread, then lift it straight up.
4. Wash hands, then repeat for each family member in a row across the canvas.
5. Add a head and legs to each handprint turkey, as shown in the finished photo.
6. Adult draws a large tree trunk. Child paints it in brown.
7. Use fingerprints to make fall leaves on the branches and some falling leaves. Try printing them in a pattern.
8. Draw a sun and grass with markers, and make fingerprint flowers.
9. Let the paint dry, then write the caption 'Our Family' and the date. Kids can trace some letters and write the rest.

## Tips
- You could easily use washable paint if you are not working on a canvas.
- Our toddler mushed up her handprint while printing, but don't fret. That smudge gave the art some character and reality.
- This project may look very simple with just four handprints, but it involved a lot of planning with two kids. Know your kids and set up the activity accordingly.
- Big A was very keen on painting mom's hands by herself, and she did a good job with the brush.
- Big A always asks why we don't draw a sun in fall art ('Sun shines every day'), so we let her add the sun and grass rather than stifle her creativity.
- My kids get a LOT of free-form painting time. A guided project like this is good practice at following directions, especially before school.
- It was the first time we did an art project as a whole family, with daddy too. Daddy suggested the fall tree when the canvas looked like it was missing something.
- Make handprint turkeys a yearly tradition. One reader's mom did it with her every year, and the author plans to as well. (from readers)

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

It's Turkey Season! and we have plenty of Thanksgiving Crafts and activities, especially our favorite- turkey crafts. Our most popular Thanksgiving craft is our fantail [**turkey craft**](https://www.funlittles.com/thanksgiving-crafts-for-kids/) we did with paper rolls. November is a big month for our family. Two birthdays and one anniversary! My turkey babies are turning 4 and 2 around Thanksgiving time and come mid November my husband and I would have been married for eight years! To commemorate that, we did a family Turkey day project. I can honestly tell you that this is the first time we have done any art and crafts projects with the kids as a family. Usually it is only me who does any kids activities. This time we involved daddy as well and had a fun time painting our palms. The Thanksgiving art turned out beautiful!

- **[Canvas](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00251EVPW/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Acrylic Paints](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATJSD8S/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- Brushes
- Markers

First we started off with daddy’s hand print after we painted his palm with acrylic paint in turkey colors. You could easily use washable paint if you are not working on a canvas.

Big A was very keen on painting mom’s hands by herself and she did a good job with the brush.



Here are our very colorful hands sans baby A who was super handsy that day.  When it was Big A’s turn she was Big A was pretty good at transferring a good hand print on to the canvas. Once we applied paint on Baby A’s palm, she mushed up her handprint while printing as though it was only the logical step after getting paint on her hands. But don’t fret since that smudge there gave the Thanksgiving art some character and reality .

 Once we were done with the turkey handprints, the canvas was missing something and daddy suggested a tree, a fall tree to give the Thanksgiving art a complete look. He drew a large tree trunk and Big A proceeded to paint the trunk in.  Using our finger prints, we created fall leaves on the tree and some dropping leaves. It was fun making leaves with finger prints! We did try to print the leaves in a pattern.

 We have done our share of fall arts and crafts, every time Big A asks the same question. Why don’t we draw a Sun in a fall art project? “Sun shines every day” she declared. In order to not stifle her creativity, we let her draw Sun and grass using markers on our fall art project. Using her fingers, Big A created flowers. Finger prints flowers are really adorable. Once the paint dried, Big A wrote the caption for the Thanksgiving art tracing a couple and writing the rest of the letters.

Let me tell you this, while this project may appear very simple with just four handprints, it involved a lot of planning if working two kids.Please know your kids and set up the activity accordingly.

This is the final product

 Please note: My kids get a LOT, I mean a LOT of time to engage in free form painting and creating. While this art project does get the kids into a certain boundary of creating, I think it is equally important for her to follow certain directions, especially when she starts school. I cannot have her say“ I will color that triangle only green not brown” She is usually ok with following the rules at school and I want to keep her that way.

Bonding as a family doing art project- pffff that’s not our thing. Do you even know my kids? If you are thinking along those lines, then, [you might want to take a look at this fun game which can easily be turned into a family game.](https://www.funlittles.com/blow-pom-poms-through-buildings/)  If you are looking for more Thanksgiving ideas, check back in a few days, we have lined up a few [**Thanksgiving Crafts.**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/holidays/thanksgiving-holidays/)

**Thanks for reading**



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