Our Unique Fingerprints

Try this extension activity for the Little Doctors box to let children learn more about their unique fingerprints! Check out tips to develop observation skills through questioning for this activity.   

There are many ways to pick up prints of your fingerprints but we are going with baby powder because it adds an air of mystery and is a great sensory experience😁.

You will need

Small bowl of baby powder

Transparent tape

Black paper

Step by Step

1) Dip your finger lightly into some baby powder. Dap off excess powder.

2)  Use the tape to pick up the powder and paste it onto the black paper. 

3) To compare, you can either a)repeat steps 1 and 2 for the rest of your fingers or b) get the fingerprints of another person. 

4) What do you notice? Are the fingerprints the same? Do you notice that some are swirl patterns while others have "mountain" patterns? What about the lines? Are they close together or far apart?

Because everybody has unique fingerprints, the police and detectives often use fingerprints to solve crimes. 

Try creating a fingerprint chart for the rest of your family members - do you observe any similarities? Can you group those with the same pattern? 

Enjoy!