7 Tree Crafts for Preschoolers (Easy Ideas)

Start here: three tree crafts that always work

Fingerprint apple treeRed fingerprints, then count the applesDecorate-a-tree collagePre-cut tree, glue, nothing else to doHandprint Christmas treeGreen handprints in rows, one sitting

7 tree crafts for preschoolers, with pictures

1. Handprint Christmas tree

The child prints green hands in rows to form a tree, then dots on fingerprint lights and a star.

You need: green poster paint, red, yellow and blue poster paint, yellow paper, white cardstock, glue

How to make it

1. Paint your child's palm green and stamp one handprint at the top of the cardstock with the fingers pointing down.
2. Stamp 2 more green handprints side by side below it, overlapping slightly, to make a triangle tree.
3. Let it dry, then your child presses red, yellow and blue fingerprint dots on the tree as lights.
4. Cut a yellow star and glue it at the top.

2. Coffee filter fall leaves

The child drips or sprays autumn colours onto coffee filters, which are then cut into leaf shapes for a garland or window.

You need: white coffee filters, red, orange and yellow liquid watercolour, dropper, brown twine, clear tape

How to make it

1. Your child drips watercolour onto each filter so the colours spread and blend. Leave them to dry.
2. You cut each filter into a leaf shape with a short stem.
3. Tape the leaves by their stems along the twine, spaced apart.
4. Hang it in a window.

3. Decorate-a-tree collage

The child covers a pre-cut green tree with buttons, pom poms, sequins and stickers however they like.

You need: green cardstock, white paper, brown paper, buttons, small pom poms, sequins, white glue

How to make it

1. You cut a green triangle. Your child glues it, point up, on the white paper.
2. Cut a small brown rectangle and glue it under the triangle as the trunk.
3. Your child chooses where to glue the buttons, pom poms and sequins on the tree.
4. Let the glue dry flat.

4. Fingerprint apple tree

The child dots red fingerprints onto a tree drawing and counts the apples.

You need: brown paper, green paper, red poster paint, white paper, glue

How to make it

1. You cut a brown trunk and a green cloud-shaped treetop.
2. Your child glues the trunk at the bottom middle of the white sheet, then the treetop above it, overlapping the top of the trunk.
3. Dip a fingertip in red paint and dot apples on the treetop.

5. Thankful handprint tree

Family handprints in fall colours become the leaves of a tree, each labelled with something to be thankful for.

You need: brown paper, red, orange and yellow paper, black marker, white paper, glue

How to make it

1. You cut a trunk with 3 short branches from brown paper and glue it in the lower middle of the sheet.
2. Trace hands on red, orange and yellow paper and cut them out.
3. Your child glues the hands at the ends of the branches and across the top, with the fingers pointing up and outward.
4. Ask your child what they are thankful for and write one word on each hand in big capital letters.

6. Cardboard tube coconut tree

The child tops a paper towel tube with green paper palm leaves and sticks alphabet stickers climbing up the trunk.

You need: 1 paper towel tube, green paper, brown pom poms, round dot stickers, glue

How to make it

1. You cut long green leaves and snip their edges.
2. Glue the leaves inside the top of the tube so they spread outward and droop down.
3. Your child glues brown pom poms right under the leaves as coconuts.
4. Stick dot stickers up the front of the trunk in a wobbly line.

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7. Letter T tree

The child glues a brown T to paper as a trunk and covers the top bar with green paper, torn tissue or fingerprint leaves.

You need: brown paper, green tissue paper, light blue paper, glue

How to make it

1. You cut a large capital T from brown paper.
2. Your child glues it upright on the light blue sheet.
3. Scrunch the green tissue into small balls.
4. Glue the balls all along the top bar of the T as leaves. Leave the stem bare as the trunk.

Nothing matches that filter. Clear it and try again.

Tree crafts for 3 year olds

Two of these a young three can do almost alone: Decorate-a-tree collage, Fingerprint apple tree. No exact cutting, no small pieces, and the glue stick does the rest. For the others, you cut and they glue.

Tree crafts through the year: paint, fingerprints and leaves

Fingerprint and handprint trees need one ink pad or a thin layer of paint on a plate. Press, lift straight up, wipe. A wet wipe next to the paper saves the walls.

For the thankful handprint tree, let your child say what they are thankful for and write it on the leaf for them. A five year old can copy a short word onto their own leaf.

Coffee filter leaves dry in an hour on a towel. Cut them into leaf shapes yourself for a three year old, or draw the outline and let a five year old cut.

The letter T tree ties in the T sound: say 'tuh, tree' as the trunk goes on. The coconut tree pairs with the alphabet book, with letter stickers climbing the trunk.

More crafts for preschoolers

• Christmas crafts for preschoolers
• Christmas tree crafts for preschoolers
• November crafts for preschoolers
• Winter crafts for preschoolers
• Handprint crafts for preschoolers
• Letter C crafts for preschoolers
• Fall crafts for preschoolers
• Art projects for preschoolers
• All crafts for preschoolers, by theme, holiday and letter

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