Simple Hedgehog Handprint Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Throughout autumn and winter, we like to explore the theme of hibernation and what animals do as the seasons change. This simple Hedgehog craft for toddlers and preschoolers is easy to make and we made it as we looked at what Hedgehogs and other animals do as the weather gets colder.
Hedgehogs and Hibernation
Hedgehogs are one of the mammals in the UK that hibernate during the winter.
As a child, I always remember the adverts around Bonfire Night warning us to check the bonfires before we lit them for any hibernating hedgehogs.
In our own garden, we have built a log pile with the kids which provides a similar refuge for the hedgehogs over the winter.
Inspired by seeing one of these nocturnal creatures out and about during the day as it hunts for its winter home we decided to create a simple craft based on it.
Materials To make A Hand Print Hedgehog With Tots
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How you make Paper Handprint Hedgehog
Although we drew around hands for this craft you could instead use brown paint and make handprints and cut them out and follow the instructions below.
- Draw around your toddlers and preschoolers hands on the brown paper.
- Cut out their hands.
- Lay the handprints out with the first palm being the nose and then with the fingers pointing up to be a spine.
- Hand over the glue stick to your toddlers and preschoolers to make the hedgehogs.
- Once the gluing has finished, add a googly eye to complete.
Books About Hibernation and Winter Animals for Toddlers and Preschoolers
For concepts that your toddlers and preschoolers are enjoying and help them understand a little more about the world around them, it’s great to read around the topic and add some books to your book basket.
Our favourite book about hibernation and winter animals is Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner. Read here why we love this book.
One Snowy Night by M. Christina Butler tells the tale of a little Hedgehog whose home gets blown away in a storm as he’s trying to get comfortable for the winter, as he goes to find shelter he meets lots of other animals that are looking for warmth, he helps them out and in return by the end of the book they help him out as well. This really is a lovely story and the whole series of books by M. Christina Butler are fabulous and a must for your children’s bookshelves.
Our other book recommendation is Time to Sleep by Denise Flemming we love how all of the animals in the forest from the bear to the turtle are included in the preparations for winter and going to hibernate.
More Hedgehog Crafts For Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Have some scissor or pincer grip practice with these little clay hedgehogs.
- Make some Hedgehog Bread Rolls
- An alternative to our Hand print hedgehog is over on Science Sparks creating Hedgehogs with Leaves.
Love the hedgehog – littl’un saw her first in Grandma & Grandpa’s garden on bonfire night and was entranced. We had a bit of a hedgehog reading theme as well with Mrs Tiggywinkle and Alison Utley’s Fuzzypeg – I had forgotten all about One Snowy Night, which we do have and love. Will have to get out.
It’s a bit heart rending at one point – Fuzzypeg ends up in the river and looks like he’s a gonna!
I’ve posted our hedgehog post this week too (shall be linking it up with you Tuesday) and we did a hand one like this last year.
Yours is very cute. Love all the other detail with your post too.
Visiting from Countrykids
You don’t mess about now do you – thanks for adding it Cerys!
your hand hedgehogs are so clever! thanks so much for sharing such a great craft idea! i must try and remember this!! x
Cerys, I love your little hedgehog and how you turn an outdoor find into a whole series of learning opportunities. We saw one in the week at a friends house when we stopped to collect their boy for cubs, I wish I had grabbed a photo, 4 little cubs gazing in awe at this hedgehog in the lights of the car beam was quite a sight! Thank you for joining me on Country Kids.