Paper Christmas Trees

This year I cut up some A3 sized card paper in the shape of Christmas trees and gave each of my preschoolers one of their own. They were invited to paint their tree green, and while paint can be a bit messy, painting is a very calming and relaxing activity for little ones. Some love to spread the paint around with their whole hands and feel the cold soft texture of the paint. Others enjoy using their finger as a brush and making swirly shapes. Some preschoolers prefer not to touch the paint the paint at all, and others like to mix a little glitter into their paint to make it sparkle and have some extra fun. Their curious little hands enjoy having time to touch the dried green paint the following.  I set up some baskets with bits of colored paper, stickers, wrapping paper, sequins, ribbons, etc. that they could choose from to cut and paste onto their own paper tree. Being able to make decisions and direct their own learning is very important for young children’s development and in this activity it was such a joy to see my preschoolers make their own choices about how they wanted their tree to look and what they considered nice. Some just couldn’t seem to paste enough decorations on their paper Christmas tree while others preferred a more minimalist look. I love supporting children enjoy the process of art and helping them making their own Christmas decorations that they can bring home and share with their families.