Pine Cone Decoration

[30 Minutes]

Is your neighborhood full of pine trees? Great! Take your child outside to gather up those pine cones. Then enjoy some time together as you create holiday (or winter) decorations!

You'll need:

• pine cones • glue • food coloring • colored sand • clay or play dough • cotton • string or yarn • flat mirror or tray

What to do:

1. Talk with your child about what type of decoration you will make with him. Ask him if he can go outside with you to find 4 pine cones of different sizes. Draw a picture of a pine cone and give it to him to take outside if he isn't sure what a pine cone is.
2. Invite your child to roll pine cones in glue and then in colored sand.
3. Hang the pine cones as holiday ornaments or stand them upright in a ball of clay on a mirror to resemble a forest of trees.
4. Add cotton batting for snow.

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• Where do pine cones grow?
• Do you think a pine cone is like a pine tree?
• Does it smell like a pine tree?

Useful information:

While you are having fun together, this activity helps your child develop large muscle skills, small muscle skills, and matching skills.