This Father’s Day baseball handprint craft is easy & quick. It can be done in just a few minutes, freeing kids up to make the perfect card or help prepare a special Father’s Day breakfast! Handprint crafts are always a hit and these handprint baseballs are such a sweet gift for any parent or baseball aficionado.
*Pair with our Sports Centers & Activities for Pre-K/Kindergarten!
Father’s Day Baseball Handprint Craft
I always have such a hard time coming up with presents for men, and Father’s Day is no exception! I want to do crafts with the kids that will appeal to the majority of dads while also being appropriate to give to single moms or other male relatives.
This baseball handprint craft would be the perfect accompaniment to a handmade card!
Supplies Needed
- Baseballs (one for each child)
- Ink pad
- Baby wipes
- Container – store-bought or homemade, optional
- Ribbon (if you decide to not use a container)
If you’re worried about the cost of baseballs, you can ask for donations if you are in the classroom. They don’t need to be new!
You can also contact a recreational league and ask if they can save the balls they are done with. I actually think this craft would look kind of cool with weathered baseballs. Baseballs can also be purchased cheap in bulk.
How to Make a Baseball Handprint Craft
Have the children first practice positioning their hands on the baseball and carefully removing their hand without “smudging.” This is also a great way to keep the other kids busy while you work one on one with each child to make their ink prints. If you are in the classroom with a large group, I recommend pulling small groups throughout the day and not doing this all together.
Rub the ink pad directly across each child’s palm, covering it completely. Carefully hold the top of their hands and help them position it on the baseball. If they are younger without much hand strength, gently press down on their hands to help make a solid impression before helping them to carefully move their hands without smudging.
Give them a baby wipe to magically wipe off the ink. I found the baby wipes worked perfectly for hands, but the ink is firmly on those baseballs once it touches.
We tried two different types of ink with wildly different results. We tried an artistic (India) ink that I painted on the hands, and then an ink pad – the kind you’d use with stamps. The ink pad turned out much better and dried within moments, so I highly recommend that option.
RELATED RESOURCE: Write It! Sports Writing Center Activities
I splurged and bought shadow boxes on sale from Michael’s, but this craft would also work great if you mounted the baseball in an empty picture frame (from the dollar store) or a painted canvas, or simply tied a bow around it, as is (that may be what I do next year)!
Have fun making memories while you create this sweet Father’s Day baseball handprint craft keepsake!
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Would acrylic paint also work? My baseball is weathered so I’m worried the ink may not show up?
Hi Kristina! I haven’t tried acrylic paint, however, I would think it would be similar to lasting as a stamp would? Definitely worth a try! Sorry that I haven’t personally done it. Do let me know how it works if you use it! : )
Hi there! I LOVE this idea. I want to do it but with 4 kids I’m not sure how we’d store 4 balls in a way that looked nice.. when you talk about mounting, what are you envisioning? Thanks in advance!!!
Hi, so glad you will be able to make the craft! When I imagine doing this with multiple kids, I imagine sending them home not mounted or stored, but likely with just a ribbon around them as a gift, and then letting the family decide what to do with it. But that is in a classroom setting with a lot more kids. At home or with a smaller group, I may do it differently. If you are trying to store all 4 together to present as a gift, I would probably either let the kids handprint/decorate a shoebox together or a nice box and then present them that way so that it looks more kid-made! I am sure whatever you decide the dads will love it! : )
Does the ink Smear? Do I need to put some kind of top coating over it? Curious- thank you!
Hi Sierra, what a great question! If you use a standard ink pad the ink will dry within minutes! There’s no need to put a top coating on it. Have fun!