These are plaster hands from 10+ years ago that have seen better days. The left one was in the sun and all the paint faded, and the one of the
Here’s an activity I learned from a mom at a preschool I used to teach at. She told me about another school doing this and I just had to try it! I timed it with Mother’s Day and ended up doing every child in the preschool’s hands for the best Mother’s Day gifts ever! What a hit! The parents all raved! It’s similar to the project everyone’s done or heard of where you do a handprint of your child in plaster of paris. BUT…this is the reverse…instead of an imprint…you get the actual hand coming out of the plaster!
Supplies needed:
- pie pan or some other dish in shape you want
- playdough (use “The Best”…because it’s soft)
- plaster of
Paris - water
- paperclip or another hanger
- watercolors/brushes
Step 1: Make playdough
Step 2: Squish playdough into a pan, filling it about halfway…Playdough needs to be deep enough for child’s hand to make an adequate impression in, but leave enough space in the pan for the plaster to make a thick frame around. (At least 1 inch thick) Smooth it flat.
Step 3: Take the child’s hand and press firmly into playdough. (No wiggling fingers!) Here’s the beauty of this version…if you mess up… resmooth the playdough & start over! Also…in the other version, the child has to touch plaster… which gets hot as it dries & could be dangerous…But here, the
Step 4: Scratch (
Step 5: Prepare plaster of Paris as instructed on package. Pour plaster into a mold. Tap bubbles out. Unbend paper clip & press halfway into still-wet plaster, for a
Step 6: Allow to dry overnight. (Or per instructions on plaster package).
Step 7: Remove playdough & allow the child to paint their plaster hand! Use watercolors for
For extra effect…add