Pick a Pine Tree Book & Activities
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Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht uses rhyming text to tell about the transformation from an ordinary pine tree to a beautiful Christmas tree. A family goes to a snowy tree lot to find the perfect pine tree. They want one that is just right . . . of course there are no wrong choices when choosing a Christmas tree!
Kids of all ages seem to love decorating Christmas trees. When my kids were little, my husband and I always put the fragile ornaments up high and the kid-safe decorations down low. The kids rearranged the ornaments multiple times a day.
They enjoyed the process of decorating a Christmas tree, just like the family in the book.
These sweet activities pair perfectly with Pick a Pine Tree.
Pick a Pine Tree Activities
Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies
The first time I ever made Christmas tree meringue cookies my kids devoured them pretty much immediately. They ate them so fast that I had to make another batch the same day! Thankfully, they are very easy to make.
I use this recipe because it only requires 5 ingredients that I pretty much always have on hand:
- Sugar
- Egg whites
- Cream of tartar
- Green food coloring
- Sprinkles (these are the Christmas tree ornaments)
Usually, I do the piping and the kids do the decorating. I pipe the green meringue into swirls that resemble pine trees and then my kids sprinkle on the “ornaments”.
These cookies cook low and slow, so make sure you allow plenty of time.
After the cookies are cooked and cool kids can choose the ‘perfect’ tree just like the kids in Pick a Pine Tree. They will all be a little different, just like real trees.
Make an Ornament
Decorating the tree is what transforms it from an ordinary pine tree to a beautiful Christmas tree. In Pick a Pine Tree the family adds lights, tons of ornaments, candy canes, garland, and tinsel. It is a very full tree!
Making an ornament is one of our annual Advent activities. They are different every year, but my absolute favorite ornament is one we made a decade ago featuring their little handprints.
Materials:
- Glass bulb ornament, any color
- White craft paint and a brush
- Sharpies in a variety of colors
Directions:
- Paint one palm with white craft paint. Try to get the palm completely covered.
- Place the bulb into the child’s hand, ask your little one to grasp the bulb, and gently press each finger onto the bulb. The fingers will make the snowmen on the ornament.
- Put the ornament upside down on a glass so that the paint can dry without being disturbed.
- Wash the paint off your child’s hand before they touch everything and create a giant mess. 😉
- When the paint is dry, let your kids draw features on the snowmen (fingers) with the Sharpies. This might be buttons, a carrot nose, a colorful scarf, a hat, etc. There is plenty of room for creativity.
- Use a Sharpie to write your child’s name and the year on the bottom of the ornament.
- Hang the ornament on your tree.
Making popcorn garlands is another fun way to decorate a tree. It is excellent fine motor skill practice for little ones and older kids enjoy the quiet activity while listening to a Christmas read-aloud or movie.
This post is part of the 12 Days of Sweet Christmas Activities series. Make sure to check out the series landing page to check out the other posts for sweet book and snack pairings!
Keep reading . . .
- Awesome Christmas Homeschool Activities
- Free Printable Homeschool Christmas Planner
- The Biggest Christmas Tree Ever Book and Activities
- The Best Books to Learn About Christmas Around the World
- If You Take a Mouse to the Movies
- Christmas Chapter Books for Kids
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