Paw print keepsakes for families with children: something for every child
The kindest paw print keepsake for a family with children is usually one original kept safely by the adults, plus a copy for each child in a form that suits their age. Parents clearly want help here: 93.4%[1] of those in an RSPCA survey wanted better guidance on helping children through pet loss.
By the Paw Print Keepsakes & Memorial Impressions editorial team · Updated September 24, 2026 · 4 min read · Sources
- Keepsake ideas for toddlers, school-age kids and teens
- Sharing one print fairly between siblings and homes
- Low-cost options that still feel special
The short answer
What paw print keepsake should a child have?
Give each child their own copy of the print, in a form they can actually use at their age: something to cuddle for a toddler, something to keep in a box or frame for a school-age child, something to wear or carry for a teenager. Keep the original clay or ink print with the adults, safe from small hands.
Copies matter because siblings notice everything. One disc on the mantelpiece belongs to the family; a print in your own room belongs to you. Pet loss is also common enough that most children meet it at some point: 32.6%[2] of UK adults in a PLOS One survey had experienced the death of a beloved pet. Other families' answers on copies are on the poll results page.
How many copies of the print would your family want?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Ideas by age
Which keepsakes suit which age?
- Toddlers and preschoolers: a soft toy with a fabric patch printed or embroidered with the paw, or a laminated copy of the print they can hold without damaging.
- Ages 5 to 8: a small frame for their bedroom, a memory box with the print, a photo and a favorite toy, or a book of drawings about the pet with the print on the cover.
- Ages 9 to 12: a keyring or zip pull with the print engraved, a print they've decorated themselves, or a memory frame they help build.
- Teenagers: a pendant or bracelet with the engraved print, a phone case or notebook cover, or a digital copy to use however they like.
Ask the child. Many will surprise you with a very specific idea, such as the print on the cover of their school planner, or copied onto the dog's favorite blanket. Our guide to making a paw print with children covers how they can help on the day itself.
Sharing fairly
How do you share one print between several children?
Start with a flat ink or inkless print, because it can be copied endlessly. Scan it once, at high resolution, and every child can have the same print at the same size. If your only print is clay, photograph it straight on in soft side light so the pads show, and use that image instead.
If you're making 3D prints, take one disc per child in the same session; it adds only minutes. At a crematory, extra prints are usually modest add-ons. One US cremation network charges $49 for ink prints and $76 for clay[3], so a second or third print is often cheaper than a single piece of jewelry. Our own estimate puts the typical US crematory print add-on at ~$32[4], the median of four posted prices.
Adding ashes
Should children have a keepsake with ashes in it?
Some older children and teens want a little of their pet's ashes, and it can be a real comfort. Small keepsake urns are affordable: one price survey puts a single keepsake urn at ~$28[5] and a set of six at around $115. Simple stainless steel ash necklaces start from $19.95[6] at one retailer, which suits a teenager who might lose or break a first piece.
A pendant holds only a pinch[7], so one pet's ashes go a long way. The ashes sharing planner shows how many keepsakes you can fill and how much remains for an urn or scattering. For younger children, a print without ashes is usually simpler: nothing to spill and nothing to worry about.
Free tool
Ashes sharing planner
Split ashes fairly between family members, keepsake urns and jewelry.
Budget
How much do family paw print keepsakes cost?
The good news for families is that copies are cheap. A home-printed scan in a shop frame costs very little. Engraved pieces and jewelry cost more, and solid precious metals far more. It helps to decide a total before choosing, particularly with several children, so nobody's keepsake feels like a lesser one.
| Keepsake | Typical cost | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Framed print from a scan | Low; a shop frame and printing | Every age |
| Extra clay or ink print at the crematory | $49 to $76 at one US network | Siblings who want an original |
| Keepsake urn | Around $28 each | Older children and teens |
| Stainless steel ash necklace | From about $20 | Teens |
| Engraved paw or nose pendant | From about $100 | Teens and adults |
The memorial budget planner helps you add up several keepsakes at once. Figures in the table come from the price lists cited above, plus one large retailer's paw and nose print pendants, which start from $99.95[8].
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Over time
What happens to children's keepsakes as they grow up?
Children's relationships with keepsakes change. A toddler's cuddly toy may be outgrown; a nine-year-old's decorated frame may end up in a drawer at fifteen and back on a wall at twenty-five. That's why the scanned file matters. Keep it somewhere safe, so any child can have a new version made years later: a grown-up pendant, a tattoo stencil, a print for their first home.
Talk about the pet as the years pass. Saying the name, pointing out the print, telling the story of the time the dog stole the birthday cake: those keep the memory alive more than any object. For more on why a print can comfort, see how paw prints fit into early grief. If you'd like help finding copies or makers near you, send us your details or see our services. The Child Mind Institute's advice on helping children deal with grief suggests drawings, scrapbooks and storytelling, which pair naturally with a print. Our local pages list makers who can produce copies near you.
The file you save today is the pendant your child asks for at eighteen.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
How many copies of the print would your family want?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Do you keep more than one memorial for the same pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What was the hardest part of losing your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Questions people ask
What's a good paw print keepsake for a young child?
Something sturdy and theirs alone: a laminated copy of the print, a soft toy with the paw embroidered or printed on a patch, or a small frame for their bedroom. Keep the original clay or ink print with the adults so it can't be damaged. Many young children also like a memory box with the print, a photo and a toy.
How can siblings each have the same paw print?
Take a flat ink or inkless print and scan it at high resolution. From that one file you can make identical framed copies, engraved tags or pendants for each child. If your print is clay, photograph it straight on in soft side light and use the photo the same way.
Should children have jewelry with their pet's ashes?
It depends on the child's age and wishes. Teenagers often value an ash pendant, and simple stainless steel versions are inexpensive enough that a loss or breakage isn't a disaster. For younger children, a print-only keepsake is usually simpler and avoids any worry about spilling ashes.
How many copies of a paw print can be made?
As many as you like from a good scan of a flat ink or inkless print. The original can stay safely at home while framed copies, engravings and pendants are made from the file. Clay or 3D casts can be copied too, but it's easier and cheaper to take several in the same session.
What if my children disagree about who keeps the original?
Keep the original as a family piece in a shared space, such as a hallway or living room, and give each child an equal copy for their own room. Explaining that the original belongs to everyone usually settles it. Later, when they're adults, you can decide together where it should live.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 93.4% of parents in the RSPCA survey wanted better guidance on helping children through pet loss. RSPCA — Pet Loss Survey Results, 2026.
- [2] In a survey of 975 UK adults, 32.6% had experienced the death of a beloved pet. Hyland et al., 'No pets allowed: Evidence that prolonged grief disorder can occur following the death of a pet', PLOS ONE (2026), 2026.
- [3] Final Gift charges $49 for ink paw prints, $76 for a clay or silver-clay paw print, $111 framed, and $133 framed with a fur clipping; a fur clipping alone costs $23. Final Gift Pet Memorial Center – Memorial Products, 2026.
- [4] Paw-print add-ons at US crematories have a median price of about $32, from $10 to $76. Our estimate: median of [$10 clay (AGP), $15 laser engraving (AGP), $49 ink (Final Gift), $76 clay (Final Gift)]. How we calculate.
- [5] A single keepsake urn costs around $28 and a set of six around $115, per U.S. Funerals Online figures cited by Funeral.com. Funeral.com – How Much Do Cremation Urns Cost in 2025, 2025.
- [6] Memorials.com sells stainless steel pet-ash necklaces from $19.95, most under $30. Memorials.com – Pet ashes necklaces, 2026.
- [7] An ashes pendant holds only a pinch of cremated remains (the retailer says at most about a teaspoon; most pendants hold far less), and most come with a small funnel fill kit. Memorials.com – Pet ashes necklaces, 2026.
- [8] Paw print and nose print pendants at Memorials.com start at $99.95. Memorials.com – Pet print jewelry, 2026.
Find family keepsake options near you
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.