Can you feel the crispness in the air? Smell the scents of cinnamon and apple wafting about? Yes, fall is upon us! And as the natural world dons its colorful cloak, we’re diving into a crafty project that captures the essence of this enchanting season. Imagine, a tree with leaves that twirl and swirl, mimicking the dance of real leaves in the gentle autumn breeze. Sounds magical, doesn’t it?
Today, we’re merging simplicity with creativity to bring you the Paper Strip Fall Tree. It’s the perfect activity to do with your little ones as you chat about the changing seasons, the vibrant colors of fall, and perhaps share a story or two about the adventures of falling leaves. Ready to bring this beautiful season inside your home, one twirl at a time? Let’s jump right in!
WILL YOU SET UP THIS PAPER STRIP FALL TREE CRAFT WITH YOUR CHILLD? PIN IT FOR LATER!
Materials for Paper Strip Fall Tree Craft
- White card stock
- Brown paint stick (or brown crayon/marker)
- Red, orange, and yellow construction paper
- Scissors
- Green felt
- Glue
- Double-sided tape (preferably with a dispenser for easy use)
Paper Strip Fall Tree Craft Step-by-step Instructions
- Tree Trunk Time: On your white card stock, draw the trunk of a tree using the brown paint stick.
- Paper Strips: Take the construction papers and cut them lengthwise into one-inch strips.
- Sticky Circle: Around where you envision the tree’s leaves to be, place a circle of double-sided tape. This will be our leafy foundation!
- Twirling Fun: Grab a strip and start twisting it to create a delightful twirl. When you reach the end, secure it with a piece of double-sided tape and stick it within the tree circle you made.
- Leafy Affair: Continue the twisting and taping process until you’ve transformed all the paper strips into twirling leaves and your tree is full and vibrant.
- Grass Garnish: Cut a grassy shape from the green felt and stick it to the bottom of your tree using double-sided tape, creating a lovely base.
- Fallen Leaves: From your extra strips, cut off a few small rectangular pieces. These represent the leaves that have playfully tumbled from the tree. Use glue to attach them around the paper just below the tree.
Tips for a Tree-mendous Time
- Story Time: While crafting, weave a fun story. Maybe each color leaf comes from a different magical land!
- Mix and Match: There’s no rule that says leaves should be traditional colors. Have some fun! Purple leaves? Sure! Glittery blue? Why not?
- Safety First: Little hands and scissors can be tricky. Always supervise during the cutting process! And jump in when needed!
Skills Sprouting Up
- Fine Motor Skills: Twisting paper strips and placing them precisely hones hand-eye coordination.
- Creativity: From choosing colors to designing the tree, imagination knows no bounds.
- Understanding Seasons: This activity offers a chance to discuss the magic of changing seasons and the cycle of nature.
And voila! You’ve crafted a Paper Strip Fall Tree that radiates the charm of autumn right in your living room. The rustle of leaves might be missing, but the spirit of the season is captured perfectly. We’d love to see your creations, so don’t be shy—share away! Until our next crafty adventure, keep those creative juices flowing and warm mugs close. Happy crafting!
Age Suitability
This activity is good for kindergarten aged children 4 years old and up with adult assistance.
Mess Level
The mess level for this activity is low.
Difficulty to Create
Medium.
Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
The Best Sensory Play Kits for Kids
Play is at the core of learning during the early years and it can take many forms. One of the most important of these is sensory play because it engages all of a child’s senses (taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing) and has a enoumous positive impact on brain development.
Our Sensory Play Kits are some fun and easy ways to keep your child engaged while at the same time using sensory play to nurture their mind!
Shop our ready made play kits here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Paper Strip Fall Tree Craft
Materials
- White card stock
- Brown paint stick (or brown crayon/marker)
- Red, orange, and yellow construction paper
- Scissors
- Green felt
- Glue
- Double-sided tape (preferably with a dispenser for easy use)
Instructions
- On your white card stock, draw the trunk of a tree using the brown paint stick.
- Take the construction papers and cut them lengthwise into one-inch strips.
- Around where you envision the tree's leaves to be, place a circle of double-sided tape. This will be our leafy foundation!
- Grab a strip and start twisting it to create a delightful twirl. When you reach the end, secure it with a piece of double-sided tape and stick it within the tree circle you made.
- Continue the twisting and taping process until you've transformed all the paper strips into twirling leaves and your tree is full and vibrant.
- Cut a grassy shape from the green felt and stick it to the bottom of your tree using double-sided tape, creating a lovely base.
- From your extra strips, cut off a few small rectangular pieces. These represent the leaves that have playfully tumbled from the tree. Use glue to attach them around the paper just below the tree.
WILL YOU SET UP THIS PAPER STRIP FALL TREE CRAFT WITH YOUR CHILLD? PIN IT FOR LATER!
