# Magnetic Christmas Tree
> Turn green-painted craft sticks, pom poms and pipe-cleaner snowflakes into magnets. Kids then build and decorate a Christmas tree right on the fridge, and can redecorate it as often as they like. It makes an easy open-ended busy play once the pieces are prepped.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/christmas-activities/
- Ages: 2–6 yrs · Difficulty: medium · Mess: low
- Time: prep 5 min, activity 20 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group · one batch serves about 2 kids
- Skills: fine-motor, shapes, patterns, open-ended-creativity
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- Craft sticks
- Green kids paint
- 1 piece Paintbrush
- Pom poms (assorted colors, some glittery)
- 1 roll Magnetic strip
- Pipe cleaners (chenille stems)
- 1 sheet Card stock paper
- Gold glitter glue
- 1 piece Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- 1 piece Scissors (household)
- 1 piece Refrigerator door or other magnetic surface (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of craft sticks: Green chenille stems (pipe cleaners) bent into the tree outline (The author says you could use chenille stems as well. One of the photos shows a pipe-cleaner tree with a silver trunk.)

## Safety
- An adult does all the hot gluing during prep, away from the kids.
- Small magnets are dangerous if swallowed. Make sure every magnet is glued on firmly, check the pieces before and after play, and supervise closely.
- Pom poms, magnet bits and pipe-cleaner pieces are choking hazards for children who still mouth objects. Supervise toddlers the whole time.
- Cut pipe-cleaner ends can be sharp. Check that the ends are covered by the glue or folded in before handing them to kids.

## Before you start
- Paint the craft sticks with green kids paint and set them out to dry.
- Adult: hot glue tiny bits of magnetic strip onto both ends of each craft stick, on the back.
- Adult: hot glue a small magnet bit onto each pom pom.
- Make snowflakes: cut pipe cleaners into 4 pieces each, hot glue the pieces together in a star shape, then hot glue a magnet on the back.
- Have the kids decorate a paper star with golden glitter glue. Once it's dry, glue a magnet on the back.

## Steps
1. Set out the magnetic craft sticks, pom poms, snowflakes and star near the fridge.
2. Check that every piece has its magnet glued on firmly.
3. Build the tree outline on the fridge with the green sticks: a simple triangle with a rectangle trunk, or zig-zag sides.
4. Stick pom poms on the tree as ornaments.
5. Add the pipe-cleaner snowflakes.
6. Put the glitter star on top.
7. Move the pieces around to try new patterns, and redecorate as many times as you like.
8. Adult: after play, count the small magnetic pieces and store them out of reach.

## Tips
- I really recommend hot gluing the magnetic strips to the supplies. Little hands tend NOT to be gentle, and the adhesive on the strips isn't robust enough to stand up to kids moving the pieces around.
- It's so easy to set up as busy play when you need a quick idea. It does take some prep, but once you have the supplies it's all up to the kids.
- A Christmas tree need not be the only creation. It's open-ended play.
- I suggested a simple triangle and rectangle, but Big A declared that Christmas trees have zig zag lines and look like Z's. So I helped her build a real tree while baby A stuck and re-stuck pom poms.
- We have redecorated many times over. Each time we had a very different pattern.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

We are welcoming the holiday season with a series of Christmas activities for kids. {Access all our Christmas Crafts for kids on our category page". Spending time with the children doing activities, especially during the holidays is such a joyous experience. Our kids enjoyed making this beautiful [**Christmas tree of hearts**](https://www.funlittles.com/christmas-crafts-for-kids/) and joy. To change things a bit we did a fun Christmas activity in the form of a magnetic Christmas tree - a tree our kids decorated right in our kitchen. You will need the following for this Christmas activity.{ product links}

- **[Craft Sticks](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CD4RHC/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Pom Poms](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00114Q4KO/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Magnetic Strip](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00114LU8K/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Pipe Cleaners](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A6VWMYK/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Card Stock Paper](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000DT8D0C/?tag=blmemo-20)**

 I can’t stress how easy it is to set up this activity as busy play when you are in need of a quick busy play idea. Having said that, it does require preparing the materials. Once you have the supplies, it is all up to the kids for an amazing open ended creative play. Christmas tree need not be the only creation. I painted my regular craft sticks with green kids paint and set them out to dry. I hot glued tiny bits of magnetic strips on either ends of the crafts sticks on the bottom.I did the same with pom poms to turn them magnetic.For snow flakes, we cut out pipe cleaners into 4 bits and hot glued them together and hot glued a magnet on the back.

 Earlier girls had decorated a paper star with golden glitter glue. With magnetic pom poms, magnetic pipe cleaners, magnetic craft sticks you have all the supplies to create magnetic Christmas tree right there on your fridge. I wanted to keep the shape of the tree easy and suggested a simple triangle for the leaves and rectangle for the trunk. Big A did not buy it and declared that Christmas trees have zig zag lines lines and resemble Z’s. So I helped her create a real tree Christmas tree while baby A stuck and re-stuck pom poms.

 Here are some shots of the girls creating their magnetic Christmas tree.

 I really recommend hot gluing the magnetic strips to the supplies since little hands tend NOT to be gentle and you really want the kids to experiment with various patterns by moving the pom poms and craft sticks around. The adhesive on the magnetic strips is not robust enough to withstand the kids' movement of the craft materials. Our decorated trees.

 Alternatively you could use Chenille stems as well.

 Note: The fridge is in a really hard-to-photograph position. The photos do not do justice to the fun activity. Your fridge will look really festive after your favorite little people have done their creative magic.

We have more Christmas activities for kids lined up for this season. Watch this space!

**Thanks for reading**

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