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Watercolor Apple Tree Craft

Aug 16, 20158,141 views
Fall
pretend play apple activity Save
Watercolor Apple Tree Craft Save
apple tree craft for preschoolers Save
apple tree with paper rolls Save
dripping liquid watercolors on apple trees Save
fine motor apple craft for preschoolers Save

by TurkeyMom in Fall

Ages3–6 yrs
Prep20 min
Activity45 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Squirt green and yellow liquid watercolors onto coffee filters to make leafy treetops, glue on red pom pom apples, and stand them in brown-painted paper roll trunks. Arrange the trees in a tray of green lentils for an orchard pretend-play scene.

⚠️ Safety first

  • Pom poms, dried lentils and tiny toys are small parts and a choking hazard. Supervise closely, especially with children under 3 or kids who still mouth things.
  • Liquid watercolors and paint can stain hands, clothes and surfaces. Cover the table and use smocks.
  • An adult cuts the cardboard circles and the slits in the paper rolls, or supervises scissor use.

Before the kids arrive

  • Collect paper rolls (one per tree) and thin cardboard or paper bags.
  • Cover the table with paper towels.

Steps

  1. Set coffee filters on paper towels. Squirt dark green and yellow liquid watercolors onto them with a pipette to mix a leafy green.

  2. Let the coffee filters dry.

  3. Cut circles from cereal-box cardboard or a paper bag and glue them behind the dry filters.

  4. Dab glue on the leaves and stick on red pom pom apples. Count them as you go.

  5. Paint the paper rolls brown for tree trunks and let them dry.

  6. Cut a couple of slits in the top of each roll and slide a leafy circle in.

  7. Optional: fill a large plate or shallow container with green lentils and arrange the trees into an orchard.

  8. Add tiny toys and tell stories about the orchard.

Tips

  • Squirting the vibrant watercolors on the coffee filters is the most fun part for most of the kids.from the author
  • The coffee filters do a great job of absorbing the liquids, and this may be a good lesson by itself.from the author
  • Cereal boxes work for the backing. We actually used paper bags and they worked just fine.from the author
  • Gluing on the pom pom apples is great for fine motor skills and for counting.from the author
  • You can stop at the trees and keep it as a craft. My children used the trees for a long session of pretend play.from the author

Make it your own

  • Keep it as a simple apple tree craft without the orchard.
  • Build an orchard on a plate of green lentils and add tiny toys for storytelling.
  • Turn the coffee filter painting into an absorption science activity.
  • For toddlers, try the author's more sensory apple tree trunk version.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · August 2015
Watercolor Apple Tree Craft
Turn a fun apple craft into props for pretend play. With apple season around the corner, we are creating apple trees with coffee filters and liquid watercolors.
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Watercolor Apple Tree Craft: the original post

T Turn a fun apple craft into props for pretend play. While engaging their creativity and their finger muscles children can create an end product and use them for pretend play. With apple season around the corner, we are exploring more kids activities with an apple theme. Today we share creating apple trees with coffee filters and liquid watercolors.

Want more apple crafts for kids? Materials

materials needed The first of this apple craft is the most fun for most of the kids. Squirting our vibrant watercolors on coffee filters to create the leaves. The kids used both dark green and yellow to mix the color to give the leaves a nice leafy green color. The coffee filters does a great job of absorbing the liquids and this may be a good lesson by itself. { We have had fun with a couple of absorption science activities before}

dripping liquid watercolors on apple trees

We let the coffee filters dry for a while. Once they are dry cut out circular cardboard { cereal boxes work} and glue them behind the coffee filters. We actually used paper bags for this purpose and they worked just fine. Now you have liquid watercolored apple tree leaves.

coffee filter apple craft

Next step is a great for developing fine motor skills and for counting. Set out red pompoms and glue. The children glue “apples” to the leaves.

fine motor apple craft for preschoolers

A simple apple tree craft with a healthy dose of fine motor exercise.

apple tree craft for preschoolers

Next step is to create the apple tree trunks. We used paper rolls and painted them brown. { We have created apple tree trunks in a super sensorial way earlier. Try our apple tree craft for toddlers}

apple tree with paper rolls

Make a couple of slits and insert the coffee filter apple tree leaves. You can leave the trees at this and keep the activity as a apple tree craft. But my children used the trees for a long session of pretend play. They used a large plate { you can use a shallow container} and filled it up with green lentils { you can use any non-food item } and arranged the trees to create an orchard. Then they added tiny toys and wove long stories about the orchard. What a great way to develop language, fine motor skills, creativity, imaginative skills and counting skills - all through a simple hands on apple tree craft activity!

pretend play apple activity

Thanks for reading

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