Age Group

Preschool
Kindergarten

Supplies

green construction paper, markers/crayons, seasonal stickers, tape, book "Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree"

Description

This project goes along very well with the book "Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree" - a great seasonal story about how one BIG Christmas tree became a gift for many people and animals! 

Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree Came by special delivery.
Full and fresh and glistening green—
The biggest tree he'd ever seen.

That was the problem ... the tree was so tall, it couldn't stand up straight in his parlor. Mr. Willowby asked his butler to chop off the top of the tree. What happens to the treetop?  Children will enjoy following along to see how this treetop gets snipped and snipped into MANY smaller Christmas trees for the people and animals in the story.

This activity provides children a tangible way to see how you can take ONE part of a tree and break it down into smaller trees. (Demonstrates how shapes can be used to build upon each other to make something bigger or smaller - and how shapes can be used to create other shapes).

First, construct one stackable tree to use as you read the story.   Each time Mr. Willowby's treetop gets a chop ... take a piece off your stackable tree, so the children can see how the one big tree can be broken down into smaller parts. 

Then, have the children make their own stackable tree.  First, cut 4-6 half circles of various sizes out of green construction paper.  Give each child 1 set of the half circles to decorate as they wish with stickers and markers (use only flat embellishments, so that the tree will stack properly).

Once the children have decorated their tree, show them how the 2-dimensional half circle can be curled/folded to create a 3-dimensional cone shape and tape it to secure.  Do this for each of the half circles - and then allow the children to stack and unstack their Christmas tree!

-- Idea inspired by Bella Dia Advent Activity

Share this idea