Tu BiShvat Handprint Tree

This messy project blossoms into a beautiful tree

For ages 4 - 10.

Materials

  • White or green card stock
  • Acrylic paint in brown, green, orange, yellow and red
  • Paint smock

Directions

  1. Use brown paint to cover child's fingers, palm and forearm. (The younger the child, the more involved you want to be in this process.)
  2. Have child place their arm gently down on the paper. Make sure the fingers are spread out. The hand should be placed in the middle of the paper to give plenty of room for the leaves. Press down on each finger, the palm and forearm. Lift the arm straight up off the paper.
  3. Wash the paint off child's arm and hand.
  4. On a paint palette or plastic plate, put small dabs of green, orange, yellow and red paints.
  5. Have child dip their fingertips into the paint. The fingertips are making the leaves around the tree.
    Note: Older kids can add more to their trees. They can paint on grass, flowers and a sky.
  6. Frame the tree using seasonal colors, with a green, red or yellow background.