Fingerprint Fireflies Around a Campfire Handprint Craft + Background Printable

Here's a fun Summer craft for kids that makes a cute keepsake and is also fun for a camping themed craft! Kids will make fingerprint fireflies around a handprint campfire using our camp craft background printable.

One of the things I love most about summer are camping trips. After roasting marshmallows on the fire, we’d grab the mason jars and go catch fireflies. Who needs glittery sensory bottles when you have fireflies in a jar?!

However, I’d much rather make a fingerprint fireflies craft than play with actual bugs. This camp craft is sure to spark some old memories or inspire some new ones. The kids will make fireflies from thumbprints or fingerprints and a campfire made from a handprint.

This simple summer craft would be great to create after your own family’s camping trip to start conversation about everyone’s favorite memory.

Summer Camp Craft Supplies

To get started you’ll need:

• printed template on white paper
• paints: red, orange and yellow
• paintbrush
• black marker

→ PRINT the camping background HERE

Printable Firefly Template

To start the fingerprint firefly craft, decide if you want to color the black and white printable or use the one already in color. If this is a summer art project for preschoolers or kindergarteners, the black and white version would be best. This way, some kids will be finished coloring before others, so not everyone needs help making a handprint at the same time.

Once the template is colored (or if you printed out the colored one), you are ready for the campfire made with a handprint.

Campfire Handprint Instructions

To begin, paint the child’s hand red orange and yellow to mimic the colors of fire. Make the handprint with the palm on the logs and the fingers upwards. You are about half done with the lightning bug craft.

How to Make a Fingerprint Firefly

Now, lets learn how to make fireflies from fingerprints.

Use the yellow paint to make many fingerprints in the sky of the printable. Once that is dry, take a marker and draw a small black dot on the top or bottom of the yellow fingerprints.

Next, draw two ovals on each side to make the wings.

Finish the lightning bug art with cute curly antenna. Kids can add as many fireflies as they'd like.

The Summer camp craft with fingerprint fireflies is complete!

Picture Books About Fireflies

Pair this fingerprint firefly craft with a cute picture book to use for a preschool or kindergarten insect theme. *As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

• The Very Lonely Firefly by Eric Carle
• Sam and the Firefly by P.D. Eastman
• Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe
• It's a Firefly Night by Dianne Ochiltree

I hope this fun firefly craft has sparked memories of your own childhood and maybe got some new camping plans started. Even if you don’t have time for a whole camping trip, you can still have a bonfire and catch some fireflies in the backyard!

For a similar craft, check out this handprint campfire and song craft!