We are just about frozen in over here in western PA with this polar vortex - as much of the rest of the country is. So while trying to figure out how I was going to keep the kids from using the dogs as target practice with their toy bows - we decided to get the paint out and make some hand print deer tracks.

I had the kids make fists and used washable paint and applied it to the outside part of their fist on the palm part only (not on the curled pinky finger). Then we painted the thumbs to complete the heel of the print for each foot print. If my kids were slightly older (read: more patient) we would have done a whole path of deer tracks - but the most they were interested in doing were two tracks each.

22 month old Gemma needed a lot of guidance while 3.5 year old Greyson dove right into stamping (Mom applied the paint).

While the paint dried, we talked about which way the deer was walking, based off of the way the print was facing. (fyi: The deer is walking in the direction of the larger 'toes').

After the prints were all dried up, I helped Gemma color her picture (read: I colored it while she handed me the pencils) with grass, flowers, and a ladybug. Greyson got to work on his own print picture adding grass and a sweet snake family ("The Mum Snake, The Daddy, The child snake, and the Sister")

This was an easy and fun craft to do together in this winter deep freeze. Next time, I might attempt to pull out some butcher paper and all of us work together to create a longer 'path' of deer tracks through a drawn forest scene.

Stay Warm!