It doesn’t get easier—or cuter—than this simple handprint pig craft for kids! whether you use a printable template or get messy with real paint to make a custom handprint, this activity is guaranteed to bring squeals of delight.
If you ask today’s toddlers or preschoolers if they know a famous pig, they are 99.9% sure to scream, “Peppa Pig!” It is fascinating to see how generations change. When I was a child, Peppa didn’t exist. The famous pigs dominating our screens were the glamorous Miss Piggy from The Muppets or the nervous yet brave Piglet from the Hundred Acre Wood.
And, of course, who could forget the classic fairy tale of the Three Little Pigs? While the traditional story focused on three innocent pigs building houses of straw, sticks, and bricks to escape a big bad wolf, modern storytelling has evolved. There are now even books written from the Wolf’s perspective, claiming he just had a bad cold and sneezed the houses down!
Regardless of which pig is your child’s favorite, one thing is certain: kids love farm animals. Today, we are celebrating our pink, oinking friends with a craft that requires minimal supplies but offers maximum fun.
Why Handprint Crafts are Essential for Development
Before we dive into the glue and paper, let’s talk about why we love handprint crafts so much. Beyond being adorable keepsakes for parents and grandparents, they serve a developmental purpose.
- Identity & Ownership: Kids love seeing a part of themselves turned into art. Tracing their own hand gives them a sense of ownership over the project.
- Fine Motor Skills: Tracing around fingers requires steady hands, and cutting out the intricate curves of a handprint is excellent scissor practice for developing motor control.
- Creativity: Transforming a simple shape (a hand) into an animal (a pig) teaches children to think abstractly and use their imagination.
Famous Fictional Pigs to Inspire Your Craft
To get your kids excited about the craft, why not talk about some famous pigs from popular culture? You can even put on a movie or read a book featuring these characters while you craft!
- Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web: Perhaps the most famous literary pig, known for his “Radiant” personality and his friendship with a spider.
- Babe from The Sheep-Pig: The courageous pig who defied stereotypes to become a champion sheep-herder.
- Piglet from Winnie the Pooh: A small, pink bundle of anxiety who teaches us that even the smallest animals can have the biggest hearts.
- Hamm from Toy Story: The wise-cracking piggy bank who is a staple of the Pixar universe.
- Porky Pig from Looney Tunes: Known for his signature sign-off, “Th-th-th-that’s all folks!”
- Poppy Pig from Miffy: A kind and helpful character created by Dick Bruna.
Supplies Required
One of the best aspects of this craft is that you likely already have everything you need in your home or classroom.
- Colored Craft Papers: You will need various shades of pink (light pink for the face/hand, dark pink for the snout/ears).
- Pencil: For tracing the hand.
- Craft Glue: A glue stick works best for paper, but white liquid glue is fine too.
- A Pair of Scissors: Safety scissors for the kids, and sharper ones for adults if needed.
- Sharpies or Markers: Black for the eyes and nostrils.
- The Template (Optional): You can draw the parts freehand or use any standard pig template found online.
Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make the Handprint Pig Craft
Follow these simple steps to create your own piggy friend. This process is designed to be easy for preschoolers to follow with a little adult supervision.
Step 1: Create the Base (The Handprint)
The body of our pig is going to be a handprint. You have two options here:
- Option A (The Template Way): If you have a pre-printed template, simply cut out the handprint shape provided.
- Option B (The Personal Way – Recommended!): Take a piece of light pink cardstock or construction paper. Have your child place their hand flat on the paper with fingers spread slightly apart. Using a pencil, gently trace around their hand.
Tip: If tracing a ticklish toddler’s hand, try to do it quickly or count the fingers out loud to keep them distracted!
Step 2: Cut Out the Shapes
Once the hand is traced, let your child cut it out. The thumb will act as the pig’s head/ear area, while the four fingers will represent the pig’s legs.
Next, you will need to cut out the other necessary parts from your colored paper:
- The Head: A large circle cut from light pink paper.
- The Snout: An oval shape cut from darker pink paper.
- The Ears: Two triangle shapes from light pink paper, and two smaller triangles from dark pink paper (for the inner ear).
- The Tail: A thin strip of pink paper.
Step 3: Assemble the Ears
Let’s start building the face. Glue the smaller dark pink triangles into the center of the larger light pink triangles. These are your pig’s ears. Glue these ears to the top of the large light pink circle (the head).
Step 4: Create the Face
Take the dark pink oval (the snout) and glue it to the center of the head. Using your black Sharpie or marker, draw two distinct vertical lines or dots on the snout to create the nostrils.
Next, add the eyes. You can use googly eyes for a silly 3D effect, or simply draw two black dots above the snout. Don’t forget to draw a smiling mouth!
Step 5: Attach Head to Body
Now, bring back your handprint cutout. Position the handprint so the fingers are pointing down (these are the legs). Glue the finished pig head onto the thumb area of the handprint. Alternatively, some people prefer to glue the head onto the palm area—there is no wrong way to do it! Let your child decide where the head looks best.
Step 6: The Curly Tail
No pig is complete without a curly tail. Take the thin strip of pink paper you cut earlier.
- Adult Step: carefully run the strip of paper between your thumb and the blade of a pair of scissors (like curling a ribbon for a gift). This will make the paper curl up into a spiral.
- Child Step: Glue one end of the curly tail to the back of the handprint (on the side opposite the thumb).
Step 7: Final Touches
Let the glue dry completely. You can now add extra details like:
- “Mud” spots using brown crayon or construction paper.
- A bow tie or hair bow using ribbon.
- Green grass at the bottom of the page if you are gluing the pig onto a background.
5 Fun & Educational Pig Facts for Kids
While the glue is drying, keep the kids entertained with these fascinating facts about real pigs.
- Pigs are super smart: Scientists believe pigs are smarter than dogs! They can play video games, solve puzzles, and even learn their names by the time they are two weeks old.
- They don’t sweat: Have you heard the phrase “sweating like a pig”? It’s actually a myth! Pigs have very few sweat glands. That is why they roll in the mud—to stay cool and protect their skin from the sun (like natural sunscreen).
- Powerful Noses: A pig’s snout is an incredible tool. They use it to dig, smell, and explore the world. Their sense of smell is 2000 times stronger than a human’s!
- They are clean: Despite their reputation for being messy, pigs are actually very clean animals. They keep their toilet area far away from where they sleep and eat.
- They talk a lot: Pigs communicate constantly. They have over 20 different oinks, grunts, and squeals that mean different things, from “I’m hungry” to “Hello!”
Creative Variations of the Handprint Pig
Once you have mastered the paper version, try these variations to keep the fun going:
- The Paint Version: Instead of tracing the hand, paint your child’s palm pink and stamp it onto white paper. Once the paint dries, draw the face and legs directly onto the print. This is messier but makes a great texture!
- The Greeting Card: Fold a piece of paper in half. Trace the hand so the pinky finger is on the fold. When you cut it out (leaving the fold intact), the pig opens up like a card! Perfect for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.
- Texture Pig: Glue pink cotton balls or scrunched-up tissue paper onto the handprint to give the pig a fluffy coat.
Conclusion
This Handprint Pig Craft is the perfect blend of simplicity and creativity. It is low-prep, low-mess (if you stick to paper), and high-engagement. Whether you are celebrating National Farm Animal Day, reading Charlotte’s Web, or just obsessing over Peppa Pig, this craft fits the bill.
So, grab your scissors and glue, and get ready to make some barnyard memories. Your little farmers will be so proud of their piggy creations!
