Many of us dream of becoming a successful author one day. But imagine becoming so famous that your birthday becomes a designated day to encourage reading across an entire country! That is the legacy of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss.
Dr. Seuss was born on March 2nd, and thanks to his massive contribution to children’s literature, his birthday has been adopted by the National Education Association as National Read Across America Day. In fact, the entire month of March is generally dedicated to encouraging literacy, rhyming, and the joy of reading.
Whether you are a teacher looking for classroom decor, a parent wanting to bond with your toddler, or a caregiver seeking a sensory activity, these Seuss Handprint Crafts are the perfect solution. They combine the tactile fun of finger painting with the beloved characters we all grew up with.
Below, we explore the best books to read and 15 creative, messy, and memorable handprint crafts to bring those stories to life.
Top 10 Dr. Seuss Books to Read Before You Craft
Before you dip those little hands in paint, it is always best to set the scene with a story. Here are the top 10 Dr. Seuss essentials that pair perfectly with the crafts below:
- Green Eggs and Ham: A tale of persistence and trying new things.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas: A heartwarming story about the true meaning of the holidays.
- The Lorax: An essential lesson on environmentalism and taking responsibility.
- The Cat in the Hat: The chaotic classic that started it all.
- Fox in Socks: A tongue-twisting challenge for brave readers.
- Hop on Pop: Perfect for early readers learning phonics.
- One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish: A colorful exploration of counting and opposites.
- Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose: A story about boundaries and kindness.
- There’s a Wocket in My Pocket!: A fun look at imaginary household creatures.
- Oh, The Places You’ll Go!: The ultimate book about life’s journey and potential.
Why Handprint Crafts?
You might wonder, why focus on handprints? Apart from being adorable keepsakes that freeze a moment in time (those hands won’t stay small forever!), handprint art is excellent for sensory processing. It helps children get comfortable with textures, improves color recognition, and sparks creativity by showing them how a simple shape (their hand) can transform into a fish, a fox, or a fantastical creature.
15 Simple Seuss Handprint Crafts for Kids
Grab your non-toxic washable paint, some cardstock, and a pile of wet wipes. Let’s get crafting!
1. The Grinch’s Growing Heart
The Grinch is a favorite not just for Christmas, but for teaching empathy. The story tells us his heart was “two sizes too small.”
- The Craft: Paint your child’s hand bright green. Stamp it upside down on white paper. The fingers become the Grinch’s beard/neck, and the palm is the face. Once dry, paint a red Santa hat on the thumb area and draw that mischievous Grinch face.
- The Lesson: While making this, talk to your kids about what makes their hearts grow with happiness (kindness, sharing, love).
2. The Lorax and His Mustache
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
- The Craft: The Lorax is famous for his bushy orange mustache. Paint your child’s hand orange and stamp it horizontally. You can actually use two handprints with palms overlapping to create a massive mustache shape. Glue this onto a yellow oval (the Lorax’s face) and add big googly eyes.
- The Lesson: Discuss nature and why it is important to protect trees and flowers.
3. Thing 1 and Thing 2 Chaos
If you have twins or siblings, this is the perfect joint activity. These mischievous characters are known for their wild blue hair.
- The Craft: Paint the palm of the hand white and the fingers bright blue. Stamp it down. The white palm becomes the face, and the blue fingers are the spiky hair! Draw on their faces and, of course, the red shirt at the bottom labeled “Thing 1” and “Thing 2.”
- Alternative: You can also paint the whole hand red to be the body, and glue blue feathers on top for hair!
4. Horton the Elephant
Horton teaches us that “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”
- The Craft: Paint the hand grey. Stamp it horizontally. The thumb serves as Horton’s trunk, and the four fingers are his legs. Glue a large grey paper ear onto the palm.
- The Detail: Don’t forget to glue a tiny pink pom-pom or a speck of clover at the end of the “trunk” (thumb) to represent the Whos!
5. Fox in Socks Puppet
This book is a mouthful of fun!
- The Craft: This works best as an upside-down handprint. Paint the hand orange. The thumb is the tail, and the four fingers are the legs. Draw a fox face on the heel of the handprint. To make it true to the book, paint the tips of the “finger legs” blue to represent his famous socks!
6. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
This is one of the easiest crafts for toddlers because it requires very little precision.
- The Craft: Simply make a series of horizontal handprints across a long sheet of paper. Paint one red and one blue. Add googly eyes and drawn-on smiles. You can create an entire underwater scene.
- Activity: Count the “fish” as you stamp them to practice math skills.
7. Put Me in the Zoo (Spot)
While technically written by Robert Lopshire, this book was edited by Dr. Seuss and is a staple in the collection. Spot is a leopard who can change his spots.
- The Craft: Paint the hand yellow and stamp it. Once dry, give the kids Q-tips dipped in different colored paints (red, blue, green, violet) and let them dot “spots” all over the yellow handprint body.
8. Truffula Trees Forest
The Truffula trees are iconic for their bright, fluffy tops.
- The Craft: Draw long, zig-zag trunks on a piece of paper (yellow and black stripes). Then, have the child make a handprint at the top of each trunk using bright colors like hot pink, purple, and orange. The handprint becomes the tuft of the tree.
- Display Idea: Make a whole forest of these along the bottom of a bulletin board.
9. Green Eggs and Ham Platter
Sam-I-Am is persistent, and this craft is hilarious.
- The Craft: Cut out a large oval from paper to be the “platter.” Paint the child’s hand green (for the ham) and stamp it in the center. Then, use a potato stamp or green painted bottle caps to make the “eggs” next to the ham.
- Fun Twist: Use real eggshells (washed and crushed) glued down and painted green for texture.
10. Oh, The Places You’ll Go Balloon
This keepsake is perfect for graduation or moving up a grade, but it works for birthdays too.
- The Craft: The story features a hot air balloon. Paint the child’s hand in a rainbow of stripes (each finger a different color). Stamp it to be the balloon part. Draw a basket underneath and connect it with lines.
- Quote: Write “Kid, you’ll move mountains!” next to the art.
11. The Cat in the Hat’s Hat
The most recognizable symbol of Dr. Seuss is the red and white striped hat.
- The Craft: This is a pattern activity. Paint the palm white, then the fingers in alternating red and white stripes. When stamped, it looks like the tall hat! You can draw the brim of the hat at the bottom of the palm.
12. Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose
Thidwick allows everyone to live on his antlers until it becomes too heavy.
- The Craft: This requires two hands! Paint both hands brown. Stamp them with thumbs touching or overlapping slightly in the middle. The spread-out fingers look exactly like moose antlers. Draw the moose face underneath the palms.
13. The Sneetches
“Star-Bellied Sneetches had bellies with stars. The Plain-Bellied Sneetches had none upon thars.”
- The Craft: Paint the hand yellow to create the Sneetch’s body (fingers can be the spiky hair or the neck depending on orientation). The crucial step is using a green star sticker or green paint to place a star right in the center of the palm.
- The Lesson: A great entry point to talk about inclusion and how appearances don’t determine worth.
14. Ten Apples Up On Top
This book is great for counting.
- The Craft: Paint the hand (or a drawn face of the dog/lion/tiger) at the bottom of the page. Then, use red fingerprints to stack “apples” on top of the character’s head.
- Challenge: See if your child can stack ten red fingerprints without them tipping over on the page!
15. The “Fish” in the Pot
From The Cat in the Hat, the Fish is the voice of reason.
- The Craft: Paint the hand pink. Stamp it horizontally. Add a large eye. Then, cut out a “bowl” or “pot” shape from blue construction paper and glue it over the bottom of the handprint so it looks like the fish is peeking out of his water, scolding the Cat!
Tips for Handprint Success
If you are new to painting with kids, here are a few tips to keep the “mess” manageable and the fun at a maximum:
- Prep the Area: Use old newspapers or a plastic tablecloth. Have wet wipes or a damp towel right next to you before you open the paint.
- Use the Right Paint: Always ensure you are using “Washable Tempera” or “Finger Paint.” Acrylics can stain clothes and are harder to wash off skin.
- Hold the Paper: When the child presses their hand down, gently press on each of their fingers to ensure a good print. Lift the hand straight up to avoid smearing.
- Let it Dry: It is tempting to draw the faces immediately, but wait until the paint is fully dry, or the marker ink will bleed.
Conclusion
Dr. Seuss’s stories are timeless because they mix absurdity with profound wisdom. They teach us about environmentalism, equality, trying new things, and the power of imagination. By pairing these stories with Seuss handprint crafts, you are solidifying those lessons and creating a positive association with reading.
Whether you are making a Grinch to remind you of kindness or a Lorax to speak for the trees, these crafts are sure to bring a smile to your face. So, grab a book, open the paint, and as Dr. Seuss would say:
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose!”
