Over the years, I’ve seen a decline in the number of arts and crafts activities we plan for our students. Many of us have been conditioned to think they aren’t rigorous enough, they aren’t standards-based, and there isn’t time due to the testing schedule. “There are more important things to do,” we’re told. To all of that, I respectfully say … 🙄.
Arts and crafts lessons give children the opportunity to:
- listen and follow sequential directions
- develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
- improve spatial reasoning
- apply math concepts, such as understanding quantity and geometry
- experience science in real-life contexts, like states of matter, absorption, and flexibility of materials
So stand your ground. Art is smart. 😊
This is our favorite Truffula Tree craft for kids. You only need a few inexpensive supplies to make these trees:
- pipe cleaners
- yarn
- scissors
- glue (Hot glue works best, but liquid glue will also get the job done.)
On a scale of easy to hard, I’d rate the difficulty of this craft as medium. Twisting the pipe cleaners together is easy, but some children will need an extra pair of hands when it comes to making their pom pom. Wrapping the pom pom isn’t the hard part, but sliding it off your fingers and keeping it intact long enough to tie a string around it usually requires a helper. Have children work in pairs or invite older buddies from another grade level to help out.
Making Your Truffula Tree
Step 1
In the whimsical spirit of Dr. Seuss, we choose the brightest colors we can find for our Truffula Trees.
Step 2
To begin making your truffula tree craft, twist two pipe cleaners together. Pinch them together at one end to start, and then begin wrapping one around the other.
Step 3
Make a knobby platform at one end of the trunk. This will provide a flat spot for the glue later in the process.
Steps 4 and 5
Wrap yarn around two fingers. Using two fingers will keep the pom pom small. If you want a larger pom pom, use more fingers. Wrap the yarn about 30 times to ensure a full, fluffy pom pom. Then, carefully slide it off, keeping it as intact as possible. Wrap a string around the middle of it and make a tight knot to cinch it in the middle.
Step 6
Cut the loops. Depending on the age of your students and the quality of their scissors, they’ll be able to do this step independently. It’s easy if they just cut 1-2 loops at a time. My kids think it’s like cutting hair. 😂 Make sure they don’t cut the one string that’s holding everything together!!
Step 7
If they’ve cut their loops correctly, this is their favorite part. Honestly, they can’t believe they made a pom pom!
Steps 8 and 9
Add glue to the little knobby platform you made earlier and place the pom pom on top. Hot glue does make this step easier, but school glue will also work. It depends on how secure you want the pom pom to be. And poof… your truffula tree craft is done!
Smart Art👇
Happy teaching!
RELATED POST
