Tree Crafts

Pine Cone Science Printables

September 21, 2015 By Valerie Mcclintick 1 Comment

With Fall right around the corner, I’ve been trying to come up with as many hands on science printables as possible! One thing there always seems to be an abundance of around our property is pine cones. Pine Cones can be great learning tools in your classroom.

Pine Cone Science Printables This set includes a Cut and Paste Worksheet, Chart and Blank Labeling Sheet, Notebooking and Coloring Page. The pine cone clipart is also available for those of you who like to ake your own teaching resources, just be sure to read our terms of use first.

Learning Ideas: Start with a nature walk to collect pine cones, then take them back into the classroom. Submerge pinecones in water to watch them close up. Extract seeds from pine cones and then break open to look inside.

More Botany Printables

More Science Printables

Fall Leaf Art Project

October 16, 2014 By Valerie Mcclintick 5 Comments

There are so many amazing Fall Leaf Art Projects online that it’s hard to go wrong!

We’ve done quite a few over the years with great success, but this year I think we’ve hit gold!

This art project technique is inspired by these DIY Crystal GemsÂ I found at Small for Big.

(They are beautiful aren’t they? Â I think we’ll be making them soon too!)

Fall Leaf Art Project:

Materials: Â You’ll need a Fall leaf, Watercolors, Watercolor Paper, and Watercolor Pencils.

(Watercolor Pencils are optional, I explain why below)

Step 1: Trace a leaf shape onto your paper. Â If you have little ones you might do this part for them while they hold down the leaf.

Step 2: Draw a dot in the middle of your leaf. Â Use a ruler to draw straight lines from the dot to the pointy end of each part of your leaf. Â If you’re leaf doesn’t have many distinctive points, try to just spread out five or six diagonal lines.

Step 3: Draw connecting lines for each of your diagonal lines. Â If your leaf has many points you can use them as guide lines for where to draw another shape. Â We’re trying to make sharp shapes like triangles, rhombus, etc.

Step 4: This is how your leaf will look when done drawing. Â It’s sorta like a snowflake!

Step 5: Using your watercolors, begin filling in each shape with a different color. Â Try to make parts of the shape with BOLD and DARK color, and other parts with white or watered down color. Â You can use a napkin to blot out color and make white areas. This is great for making texture as well.

Step 6: Continue to fill in your shapes by alternating colors. Â We’re sticking mainly to Warm colors like reds, oranges, yellows, but don’t be afraid to add in some browns, purples, and greens too. Â These are all colors you’ll find in a fall leaf.

Step 7: Using a black watercolor pencil outline your leaf shape. Â You can use a sharpie marker as well, but I like the way a watercolor pencil “bleeds” into the painting a bit.

All Done! Â Frame your picture on black for a stunning display!

I love this project because the materials and the mess are minimal and children of all ages can participate. Â My 5 year old son did this Fall leaf and it turned out amazing!!

Here is a quick photo you can Pin for Later

Find Fall Leaf Templates, Coloring Pages, Worksheets, Sciene Resources and more here.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

March 9, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick 1 Comment

SAD, isn’t it? That so many people suffer from these winter blues. I think it is, and when I was a first year Psych student, I was convinced that I suffered from SAD (among about 9 other disorders…..all on a sliding scale of course….) But I think that I’ve since decided that,
Really….I just don’t like Winter.

(Okay, I like it because God created it. I know that we need to have the cold and the snow and the rain and the clouds for some grand master circle of creation that He has instilled upon this earth. But I don’t enjoy winter as much as I enjoy, well, say……a hot fudge sundae, or a walk on the beach, or even a root canal if I’m completely honest………)

But this morning there was hope! This morning
WE SPRANG FORWARD.
……figurativly anyway, because we actually slept in accidentally and missed the first half of service. But there was hope!

So as I count down the days until Spring (12 more to go) I thought we’d throw a little “Seasonal” learning into our Nature Studies. Sissy continues to learn about trees and all things related, so we made a little 4 Seasons Wheel Book.

You Can Click Here to Read more about how we made it

Nature Calls…..

March 8, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

……well, okay, that was a bit misleading I guess. But since we’ve been on the Nature kick lately, I’m running out of cute “puns” to call my blog posts.
(someone send some ideas in quick before I hurt myself).

Anyway, it was time to put all my scrapbooking skills to good use and make something useful from those adorable paper-bag minibooks.

So Sissy has been working very hard on her own Tree Journal (she is so proud of it, that every time she adds another fact to the book, she run’s over to Daddy and has him read through the entire book again to see what she’s added.) It’s flippin’ adorable.

Click Here to read all about her amazing Nature Journal.

btw- She’s learning from one of our favorite text books

Branching Out a Bit….

March 8, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

Today we had a grand ole time learning more about trees, how they sustain life and how they are useful for many things…….including crafting!

We are reading from the book, “Tell Me Tree” by Gail Gibbons which is just perfect for her because there is lots of information, without being to “wordy” if you know what I mean.

Anyway, we took a nature walk outside, collected some sticks and sat down at the table trying to figure out what to do with them. (besides use them as swords, as my three year old hastily recommended)

Here’s what we came up with. We made these fun little picture frames, that Sissy is so excited to give out to family members for upcoming birthday presents. (So dear auntie, if you’re reading this….act surprised).

Click Here for Photos and instructions for making these cute little tree frames.

Hoooo’s in the Trees?

March 7, 2009 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

Today we learned all about the different kinds of animals that live in trees. After learning that we have both conifers and broad-leafed trees in our yard, my children were excited to learn about the different “wild”-life that inhabited them. (lol, wild is in quotes because, really….how wild can a city squirrel get?)

Anyway, I was sitting there trying to figure out just how exactly we could come up with a craft about these adorable animals, and finally the idea struck! Why not pull out our trusty How to Draw 101 Animalsbook, and figure out how to even draw them. So after we found out how to draw the little buggers we decided that we needed to make trees for them to inhabit, and this was the best we could come up with. Yeah, it’s not one of those “Earthy” crafts that make you want to go trekking through the Oregon wilderness, but it’s definitely a keepsake craft…..I mean just look at those cute little branches!

Tree Crafts

Footer

SUBSCRIBER FREEBIE: