Summer is such a fun time for creative ideas, especially for patriotic crafts that celebrate the stars and stripes! This rocking handprint American flag craft is a great way for kids of all ages to get involved in the holiday spirit, whether you’re marking Independence Day on 4th July, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, or even Constitution Day.
It’s a simple craft that turns a plain piece of paper into a meaningful and colorful piece of holiday decor. Plus, it’s an excellent activity for fine motor skills and a fun way to start conversations about the history of the flag and patriotic holidays.
Materials You’ll Need for this Easy American Flag Craft
You only need a few easy craft supplies for this project – most of which you probably already have in your craft box or can grab from the dollar store.
This makes it a great craft to prep for a group or use at home during a holiday celebration. All you need is…
- Construction paper in red, white, and blue
- Scissors
- A glue stick or school glue
- White stars (you can use star stickers or cut them out yourself)
How to Make Your Rocking Handprint Flag
This easy craft is great for younger children with help or for older kids to do more independently. It’s one of our favorite American flag crafts because it adds a personal touch and a fun twist by rocking back and forth!
For even more learning, consider pairing this activity with a short story or video about the history of the American flag. Talk about the meaning behind the red stripes, white stripes, and white stars, and how the flag has changed over time. It’s a wonderful opportunity to turn a simple American flag craft into a richer educational experience that sticks with your child long after the glue dries.
Here’s how to make it….
Rocking American Flag Handprint Craft
A rocking handprint flag craft that's full of patriotic charm! This simple 4th of July activity turns your child’s handprint into a waving American flag — perfect for little hands and big holiday fun.
Materials
- Blue Construction paper
- Red Construction paper
- White Construction paper
- Glue
- Scissors
- Free Printable Template (Optional)
Tools
- Printer if using template
Instructions
- Cut two large circles from plain white construction paper.
Set one of the white circles aside to use later as the base. - Cut red stripes from the red construction paper, and trace your hand on a sheet of blue paper and cut it out. This will be the “blue rectangle” or "blue section" of your flag.
- Take the other white circle and glue red stripes across it horizontally to create your flag background.
- Cut the edges from the red stripes
- Stick the handprint in the center of the striped circle and decorate it with white stars — star stickers work great or use white paint or paper stars.
- Fold your spare white circle in half and glue it to the back of your craft so the whole thing can gently rock back and forth.
- Your craft is all done
This handprint flag craft is a great activity to pair with lesson plans about the US flag or as part of a patriotic celebration.
It’s perfect for Flag Day craft ideas, American flag art projects, or just as a fun July craft to keep kids engaged during summer. It’s also a creative way to introduce the pledge of allegiance and talk about what the flag represents. Kids love seeing their own hand become part of the flag, and it’s a wonderful keepsake, especially for preschoolers and early learners.
This craft also works beautifully as part of a summer camp activity or classroom celebration. You can easily adapt it for group settings by prepping materials in advance and letting each child personalize their own handprint flag. It’s a great way to help kids feel connected to national holidays while encouraging individuality through their personal touch.
Plus, when everyone’s finished, you can line the flags up for an adorable and meaningful display!
If you’re working with younger kids or want to save time, try using pre-cut star-shaped stickers or dot markers to decorate the blue handprint. These small touches still build fine motor skills but offer a simpler option than cutting tiny stars. You can even turn this into a counting activity by asking your child to count out how many stars to place—great for combining creativity with early learning!
Download the Template PDF
Want to make this even easier? We’ve put together a simple handprint template to help you get started. Just print, trace, and craft! Click the download button below to get started.
Terms of use: This American flag craft template is free for personal use and classroom use.
More 4th of July Crafts for Kids
Looking for more fun ideas to celebrate Independence Day or other patriotic holidays? We have plenty of July crafts and paper flag crafts for kids, including paper plate flags, dot marker art, and more favorite American flag crafts to explore. There’s something for every age and ability level.
- 4th July uncle sam paper plate craft
- Handprint American Flag 4th of July Craft
- Toilet Paper Roll 4th of july windsock craft
- 30 Red White & Blue Patriotic Crafts For Kids
- Happy 4th July Free Printable Banner
If you enjoyed this handprint craft, please share the blog post with friends or in your favorite craft groups. It really helps us out and spreads the joy of simple, creative fun. And if your child makes this patriotic handprint flag, we’d love to see it — tag us on social media so we can share your creations too!
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.