Make your own Zoo Animals Fingerprint Art with these step by step directions. Lions, Tigers, Snakes, Monkeys, and Giraffe step by step fingerprint animals thumbprint art tutorials.
Are you looking for a quick and easy science lesson for kids? What about a fun craft activity for kids? How about a mix of both!?
If you are looking for a cute craft and activity for kids, why not quickly explore fingerprints while creating a bit of fun fingerprint animals with your child.
What animals have fingerprints?
Before you begin a fingerprint activity, make sure you know a little bit about the background of fingerprints. Fingerprints are the tiny ridges on the edge of a finger. They are essential the folds of skin that create a unique print to primates. In addition to human men, women, and children, there are a few animals that are closely related to homo sapiens (aka humans) that also include fingerprints on the tips of their hands. Gorillas, chimpanzees and koala bears have fingerprints that are almost identical to human ones.
Other animals have paw prints. Paw prints can come in set of three, four or five pawprints.
Extend the lesson with a microscope. Using an inkpad, put human fingerprints on paper and place the paper under the microscope. Study the ridge patterns and notice that each human print is unique!
Now that we have learned a little bit about fingerprints, let’s have fun with human fingerprint arts and crafts for kids…. of course, incorporating animals!
How to Make Fingerprint Animals
We have the cutest tutorial for you, Zoo Animals Fingerprint Art. This is a perfect rainy day activity for the littles. We included a tutorial for giraffes, lions, monkeys, snakes and tigers. Once you get the hang of these five zoo animals, you can likely create your own animals mimicking these easy tutorials – crocodiles, hedgehogs, skunks, elephants and more.
Enjoy your work of art!
Supplies
- Stamp Pads in Various Colors
- Ultra Fine Sharpie Markers (also Watercolor Brush Makers will look nice)
- Sketch Pad or White Paper (White Cardstock is a nice option)
Follow these step by step instructions for how to make fun animal fingerprint art with colored ink pads, human prints, and a little creativity.
Fingerprint Giraffe Art
- Make a horizontal (sideways) orange thumbprint. This will be the giraffe’s body/belly.
- Above it, make a second thumbprint, slightly pointing down. This is the giraffe’s head.
- Connect the two with two long lines to form a neck with an orange sharpie marker.
- Add four long orange rectangle legs.
- Make a simple line for the tail at the end of the body.
- On top of the head, make two pointy ears.
- On either side of the ears, make the giraffe’s ossicones. These are the horns on top of the giraffe’s head.
- Add a little hair down the giraffe’s neck and on top of the head.
- Color in a bit of hair on the end of the giraffe’s tail.
- Make a smiling face for your giraffe!
- Cover your giraffe in brown spots.
- Using a gray marker, make hooves at the end of each foot with a simple rectangle shape.
Fingerprint Lion Art
- Start with a horizontal thumbprint. This is your lion’s body.
- Make a second horizontal thumbprint right above the first. This is his head.
- Using an orange sharpie, make two round ears on the top of the head, 4 legs and feet and a long skinny tail.
- Using a brown sharpie, draw a mane around the lion’s head. Add a bit of fluff to the end of the tail.
- Make your lion’s face with two eyes, a heart shaped nose, whiskers, and a mouth.
- Color in the mane.
Monkey Fingerprint Art
- Make a horizontal thumbprint. This is your monkey’s body.
- Make a vertical (up and down) thumbprint above, to the side, slightly off the body. This is the monkey’s head.
- Make a third thumbprint, horizontally, over the monkey’s head, connecting the body and head together. This completes the monkey’s face.
- Using a brown Sharpie, add two round ears on top of the head. Also draw a long curly tail at the end of the body and four legs.
- On the top part of the monkey’s head draw two eyes. On the horizontal part of the head, draw his/her two nostrils and a big smile.
- At the end of each leg draw his feet.
Snake Fingerprint Art
- Choose your colors of ink.
- Make a horizontal thumbprint in the first color.
- Behind that, using your pointer finger, use a different color ink to make a vertical fingerprint.
- Then, go back to making a horizontal thumbprint.
- Alternate between thumb and finger prints until your snake is the desired length.
- Make an eye and a smile. Draw out a long pink tongue.
Tiger Fingerprint Art
- Begin with a horizontal (sideways) orange thumbprint. This is the tiger’s body.
- Make a second horizontal thumbprint above and off center of the first. This is the tiger’s head.
- Draw 2 pointy ears on top and four legs.
- Draw a long tail at the end.
- Make ‘V’ shapes on the tiger’s face, back and tail for his/her stripes.
- Finish your tiger with the face! Two eyes, a heart nose, whiskers and a mouth.
Usborne Books Fingerprint Activities
If you enjoyed these activities, extend your animals and take a look at Usborne Books Fingerprint Activities. This publisher created fun books include dinosaurs, under the sea animals, insects, bugs, cats, dogs and more. Each spiral book comes with a rainbow ink pad.
More Arts & Crafts for Kids
Let’s get creative! Also take a look at these Paint Chip Crafts. Make fun artwork using an index of colors, shapes and sizes. Pin to Pinterest.
Also get creative with these Upcycled Cereal Box Crafts. Recycle cardboard boxes for arts and crafts for kids. Pin to Pinterest.
Post has been updated. Originally published November 17, 2018.
WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Outdoor, Water, Back to School, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.
Last Updated on August 15, 2022 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living
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