Trees! Trees! Trees!

You will need:
1/2 apple, several pretzels, a cheese slice

Directions:
1.slice the apple into thin pieces
2.cut the cheese slice into 2 triangles
3.arrange the apple slices in the shape of a triangle
4.add the pretzel tree trunk
5.add the cheese star

This is a healthy tree to eat.  You can add decorations of your choosing like raisins, butterscotch chips or grapes.  You can start a conversation about how trees can be decorated differently and how people put different items on the top of their tree instead of a star.

You will need:
2 stalks of celery, pretzel sticks, a cheese slice and pomegranate seeds

Directions
1.cut the celery stalks into different lengths
2.add pretzel sticks for the trunk
3.add the cheese star by putting triangles together
4.decorate with pomegranate seeds

Just another fun tree to eat!  It can be decorated with whatever small fruit items you have.  Pomegranate seeds can be hard to eat and they can also leave stains on fingers and clothing.

You will need:
an old magazine, glue or tape, scissors, bow

Directions:
1.tear pages of the magazine out and cut into strips of various sizes
2.arrange the strips from big to small or small to big
3.add the bow at the top

This is a fun cutting activity if you let your child use scissors.  It is the parent or teacher's job to limit the number of strips and make sure they are graduated in size.  You can make it as easy or hard as you want.  8-10 strips is perfect for a 4 or 5 year old.  This is a good visual discrimination activity as well as practice for sequencing big to little.

You will need:
several old Christmas cards, glue or tape, bow, scissors

Directions:
1.cut the Christmas cards into strips of various lengths
2.arrange the strips biggest to smallest and attach with glue or tape
3.add a bow at the top

This is the same activity as above except easier for those learning how to cut.  Card stock is easier to hold, cut and manipulate than newspaper or magazine paper.  It is a great activity to practice sequencing big to little or for counting.
This could be done by a 2-3 year old with help and supervision from a parent or teacher.

You will need:
an old Christmas card or magazine page, hole puncher, crayons, glue, a bow

Directions:
1.Parent or teacher should fold the paper in 1/2 and cut in the shape of a tree
2.while paper is still folded, use the hole puncher to punch out holes randomly
3.glue down the opened tree
4.use crayons and color in all the holes to look like ornaments
5.add a trunk and glue a bow on top

Kids love punching the holes! They can also cut out the tree if you can draw lines for them to follow.  A solid color for the tree looks great too. FYI... They will want to make many of these! I think it is because of the hole punching.