Paper Collage Christmas Tree: A Toddler Craft Project

Anyone who has toddlers knows how hard it can be to find craft ideas to keep them occupied. They haven't mastered many skills at this point, but they are desperate to be independent and do things by themselves - an obviously frustrating situation for both parents and children. This activity requires only a few basic skills, needs very little parental intervention, isn't too messy and doesn't require a long attention span.

For this craft you will need:

1 piece of card stock in a neutral color, approx 8 ½ x 11"
1 piece of green construction paper, approx 5 x 7"
1 piece of brown construction paper, approx 4 x 5"
1 adult-sized handful of colorful children's cereal
a pencil or crayon
glue
damp paper towels
dry paper towels
a small dish or plate

Simple Preparations for Parents
After you gather the necessary materials and clear a workspace, use a pencil or crayon to draw a Christmas tree and trunk on the cardstock. A simple triangle-shaped tree and rectangle-shaped trunk work the best. Draw the tree as big as you can.

Toddler Time
Now have your child tear the green construction paper into pieces. The pieces can be various sizes and shapes. I aim for pieces about one inch square. Tiny pieces will make the project take longer. Larger pieces don't give the desired effect.

Tear up the brown construction paper in the same manner, keeping those pieces separate from the green pieces.

Next, put some glue on a dish. Have your child dip his finger in the glue and "paint" the entire tree and trunk. When finished, use the wet and dry paper towels to clean off his fingers. If your child doesn't like to get his hands gooey, spread the glue on the picture with a paintbrush or popsicle stick.

The next step is to cover the tree and trunk with the torn pieces of construction paper in a random fashion. Obviously the the green is for the tree and the brown is for the trunk. You may need to add dabs of glue here and there to the underside of pieces that are overlapping others to help hold them in place.

The final step is to decorate the tree by gluing the colored cereal to it.

Finishing Touches
You can make this craft into a greeting card by fold the card stock in half. Write your sentiments inside the card then decorate the front of the card as described above.

Alterations
You can alter this activity by substituting the suggested materials for others you may prefer. The construction paper can be replaced with colored foil, felt, or feathers, for example. You could even use different shades of your green materials for a multi-tone effect.

Have fun being creative and enjoy the one-on-one time with your child.