"TREE" MENDOUS IDEAS FROM A LUNCH BAG

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Creativity + Skills = FUN!

Here's a simple craft activity that you can tie into science (seasons), reading (letters and word families), and writing.  It's good for small motor skills and can be adapted to different age levels and skills.

Directions:  Tear or cut 3 or 4 strips half way down from the top of the bag as shown.  (You might want to draw these lines for younger children.)  Open the bag and twist in the middle to make a tree.  

Seasonal Trees

*Tear red, yellow, and orange scrap paper and glue them on the strips to make an autumn tree.

*Pink and white tissue paper can be waded up to make blossoms on a spring tree.

*Use Q-tips to paint white snow for a winter tree.

*What fruits and nuts grow on trees? Let children make their favorite fruit tree.



Letter Tree
*Write letters (or use letter stickers) to make a "chicka chicka boom boom boom" tree.

Word Family Tree

Have children choose a rime and then write all the words they can think of that end with that sound.

*This would be a great partner project.

Word Tree

Children can write sight words, vocabulary words or spelling words on their tree branches.

*Wouldn't this be a more fun way to have children practice writing and reading words than with a worksheet?

Numbers Bonds

Children can choose a number and then write different ways to make the number on the branches.

Family Tree
*Let children make a family tree by writing names of family members on their tree.

Spooky Old Tree
Twist the strips of paper as shown to make a spooky tree.  Let children cut bats, cats, and other spooky things to go on their tree.






*Use these trees to prompt descriptive writing or poems.



Fall Centerpiece

If you're entertaining this fall here's a centerpiece will get rave reviews.  All you need is a large paper grocery sack.  Wad and crush the sack until it is soft and pliable.  Next, make a large tree using the same process you did with the lunch bag.  Use fake leaves, small pumpkins, and other seasonal objects to decorate your tree.  Taaa daaa!!