Make some pine tree art with the kids as they learn more about evergreen trees. This is perfect as part of your winter activities for preschoolers, but it can also be done any time of the year.
Related: Christmas Tree Activities
Our classroom science center has pine branches, pine needles, and pine cones in it right now.
The kiddos and I sat down to explore them together over the past few days. We talked about evergreen trees and how they’re different from deciduous trees.
My students felt the pine needles and pine cones, commenting on the different textures. We also smelled the pine branches and compared the needles to deciduous trees’ leaves.
After our explorations, I decided it would be fun to create another collaborative piece of art for the classroom. It turned out to be a fun extension of their science activities.
Pine Tree Art
I’m a big fan of collaborative art projects with preschoolers, what about you? And this art using pine tree bits is a great group project to set up.
It can be done individually too, of course. It just depends on your own preference.
Materials We Used
We had most of the items on-hand already. You can likely pick up most of these items from your local craft store.
Related: What is Process Art?
If you have pine trees in the area, go on a nature walk for the natural items! Here’s what we used (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Small white canvas
- Green tempera paint
- Glue gun
- Pine tree branches
- Pine cones
Related: Canvas Art Ideas for Kids
Preschool Pine Tree Art Directions
Start off by painting the canvas. We chose green paint because pines are everGREEN trees!
Some of the kiddos used pine needle “brushes” to paint the canvas, too. You can offer this as an option for your students.
Once the green paint is dry, grab the rest of the items. I called the kids over one or two at a time at this point. This gave me the chance to connect with the children. It also let the kids all enjoy their art time.
Related: Evergreen Tree Activities for Preschoolers
Let the children choose some of the extra pine-related items to add to the art. We had sticks, needles, and pine cones of various sizes.
My students chose their items with great care and helped me glue everything down. They were so focused and precise while creating this piece of process art together! I was very impressed with how many of them remembered my glue gun rules, too.
Related: Super Simple Christmas Sensory Bin
I know I’m very biased, but I love how this evergreen artwork turned out!
The colors of brown and green are beautiful together. I especially love the three-dimensional aspect of it. It’s almost like a tiny forest on the canvas.
The Learning
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m all about art for art’s sake. I don’t think you need to justify including lots of art in your preschool classroom.
At the same time, art projects like this one do house a lot of early learning opportunities. So I thought I’d explore them a little bit below.
When we created our pine tree art project, we touched on a lot of science:
- Discussing different types of trees
- Explored the seasons and how they impact nature
- Many of the senses were involved in the process
Science isn’t the only topic we explored:
- Creativity
- Teamwork
- Language skills
- Vocabulary
Have you ever created pine tree art with your students? Let me know how it went in the comments below.
Related: Christmas Process Art
More Evergreen-Themed Ideas for Preschool
If your students loved the pine tree art, I bet they’ll love these ideas too!
Egg Carton Christmas Tree Math Puzzle from Still Playing School
Evergreen Tree Math Activity from Fun Learning for Kids
Counting and Read Skills Trees from Capri +3
Evergreen Tree Sensory Craft from The Educators’ Spin On It
Preschool Songs: Down By the Tree by Growing Book by Book
Evergreen Nature Hunt by Rainy Day Mum
Preschool Resources to Make Your Life Easier
There are just SO MANY things to do as a preschool teacher, right?! Let Preschool Teacher 101 help carry the load with done-for-you resources.
Click on the images below for more information about each of the resources. Be sure to join the membership waiting list while you’re there.
Originally published December 2014.
What a fun collaborative project. I love that each child picked out their own elements to add to the art and helped with the placement. I imagine that they each feel a sense of pride as while observing individual and group contributions.
Thanks so much! Yes, the children were so very proud of their beautiful work!
I have 3 kids, so if each child made one, I bet these would be pretty displayed together on the wall!
Amanda, that’s an awesome idea!
I love group projects, especially ones that combine art and science. This looks great!
Thanks so much, Anne! I completely agree – collaborative art and science projects are some of my favorites. 🙂
I just love how this turned out!
You are so sweet, Natalie! Thank you! 🙂
What a great use for our stash of items picked up on walks that have filled our garage. Plus, it makes a beautiful art display for the holidays.
Yes, nature walk items make some beautiful art! Thank you. 🙂
What a fantastic collaborative art project. Do you have any safety tips for using a glue gun with preschoolers?
Thank you! When it comes to glue guns, I’m a big fan of reviewing safety rules first. The rules are simple – an adult needs to supervise, hands/fingers stay on the handles, the tip stays pointed at the project. I also think it’s a great idea to have the children practice with glue guns ahead of time. This way they get practice with the glue guns.