I've been making these Tinsel Treats Table Trees for years.

It was always a favourite end of year Christmas Activity in my class.

They make gorgeous little gifts or lovely table decorations that children can make

Ages: 3+

(see Handy Tips at the bottom to simplify or extend to meet your child's needs)

Materials: Thick paper/card, tinsel, wrapped lollies (candy), scissors, stapler, sticky tape, pompom/star for top(optional)

1. Make a cone shape from the thick paper/card and staple to hold together

2. Trim off the bottom to make to make a cone that will stand up

3. Your cone shape (tree) is ready for decorating

Tape one end of the lolly (candy) wrapper on to the cone shape

Continue until you have a well decorated tree

Staple one end of the tinsel wreath to the bottom of the cone

Carefully wrap the tinsel around and around the tree

As you go around, lift the wrapped candies up to allow the tinsel to cover the tree but not the candies.

One your tinsel reaches the very top of the tree. Staple in place and cut off any excess

Maddie wanted to stick a golden pom-pom on top. She attached it with sticky tape

Our finished trees. I made a purple one and M (aged almost 4 made the green one)

Here are more Christmas Tree activities for you

 

5 Fabulous Christmas Tree Activities       Super Simple Toddler Christmas Cards

Handy Tips

- Simplify this activity by assisting your child wherever they need. Younger children still working on developing their fine-motor skills will need help with things like getting the sticky tape (pre-cut pieces for them), wrapping round and round, etc. Making the cone for the child first is a good place to start.

- Extend this activity by allowing your child control over as many processes as they are capable of. Have them make up the cone shape first. This seems relatively easy but depending on the shape and size of your paper, could be tricky.

- Alternatively, you could wrap the tree in tinsel first and then lift up the tinsel to stick the candy wrappers underneath. This is probably an easier way for people with more advanced coordination. Sticking the candies on first will be easier for littler hands.

- Mix it up by making your trees any colour you like to match your theme. Use more or less lollies (candies) depending on how covered you want the tree. Try making a tree entirely covered in wrapped candy.

- Talk with your child about the processes they are going through, ensuring you are using the descriptive language that goes with it. eg. "wrapping, around, under, over, cone, top, bottom" etc

Happy playing,
Debs :)

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This activity is a great way to either add a splash of colour around your house or garden, or a fabulous gift idea.

Using very cheap plant pots from Bunnings (or any garden supplies shop), and some paint, your child can create great pieces of art.

Maddie made these pots as handmade Christmas pressies for her grandmothers. Once dried we potted in some colourful flowers.

Set up all your materials before beginning. As it was a nice day we painted outside.

To add a bit of a personal touch to these pots we used handprints as the base of our design

 Then added the rest of the detail with paint brushes

We turned the handprints into flowers. Simple and easy for a young child.

Some tips:

- Paint or decorate your pots in any fashion that you like and within your child's abilities.

- The very kid friendly, washable paints AREN'T the best for this type of painting as they don't dry very vibrantly. Try a basic acrylic paint and just wash their hands right after.
- When dry, cover with mod podge or a waterproof sealant to keep the design intact.

- Using handprints or finger painting makes the activity much more tactile. It also helps to date your pot and show just how small your child was at the time.

- Making things that look visually pleasing as the end result help your child feel proud about what they have created. Giving your activity a special purpose, (like a gift for a loved one) can also help instill some pride in their work.

Debs :)

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