Here's Our Little Pine Tree
(Tune: "I'm a Little Teapot")

Here's our little pine tree,
Tall and straight.
Let's find the things
So we can decorate.
First we want to put
A star on top!
Then we must be careful
The balls don't drop.

Hang on all the tinsel
Shiny and bright
Put on the canes
And hook them just right.
Finally put some presents
For you and for me.
And we'll be ready
With our Christmas tree.

5 Little Christmas Trees

5 little Christmas Trees
Standing all alone
Their heart were very sad
'Cause they hadn't found a home.
Then chop went the ax
And down fell the tree
And off they went with a happy family!

(continue from 4-1 Christmas Trees)

No little Christmas Trees
Standing all alone
Their hearts were very happy
'Cause they all found a home!!!

I'm A Little Pine Tree
(Tune: "I'm A Little Teapot")

I'm a little pine tree- as you can see,
All the other pine trees are bigger than me.
Maybe when I grow up-then I'll be
A great big merry Christmas tree!

Five Little Evergreens

Five little evergreens
outside in a row.

The first one said,
"Let's look at the snow."

The second one said,
"Oh-oh, it's getting cold."

The third one said,
"Christmas is coming so I'm told."

The fourth one said,
"I hope someone decorates me."

The fifth one said,
"We'll just have to wait and see."

The Tree

I am a type of tree you know
I start out small and then I grow
My roots spread deep under the ground
To help me so I won't fall down

My trunk protects me up and down
And carries all my food around
The inside part of me is dead
The outer layers grow instead

From my trunk grow many branches
This is the part of me that dances
On my branches, green needles you'll see
They use the sun, to make food for me

Do I sound like a tree you've seen?
Have you guessed? I'm an evergreen!

The Pine Tree

Outside there's a pine tree
standing straight and tall.
It need no decorations--
nature's done it all.
Pine cones on its branches
with icicles glistening bright,
Snow upon its needles
and birds at rest from flight.
I see it from my window,
and take the time to say,
Thank you for your beauty, tree,
on this winter day.

Christmas Wreaths

Our Christmas wreaths
Are fat and round
Made of woodsy things
We found.
We tied brown cones
Upon the green
And stuck red berries
In between.
Upon the wreath
For our front door
We tied red ribbon
From a store.

The Beautiful Christmas Tree
by Charlotte Zolotow

A Christmas Tree in the White House
by Gary Hines

Christmas Tree Farm
by Sandra Jordon

A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree
by Colleen Monroe

Interactive Writing

Using a poster sized picture of an evergreen tree, have the students label each part:

roots
trunk
branches
leaves (needles)
seeds (pine cones)

You might use the sentence frame
This is (These are) the _________.

Tree, Ornament
or Star Sort

Supply the children with plenty of trees, ornaments and stars of many sizes and colors. Ask the children to sort the shapes by size, color or type.

Tree Sizing

Cut out many different sized trees.  Ask the children to line up the trees from largest to smallest.

Another Sizing
Activity

Precut 7 green construction paper strips for each student in different lengths.  Begin with 2 in x 1.5 in strips. (Each strip after the first one is one inch longer.) Precut brown construction paper into 12 x1.5 inch strips. Give each child one. Demonstrate putting strips in order starting with smallest to largest. After you have modeled placement of strips of green paper on brown strip, proceed to cut the green strips at an angle on each side to form one large green triangle. Fringe edges of green papers, add fruit loops, or other decorating items to complete Christmas tree. Place finished tree on yellow paper and then on black paper to frame tree.

Tree Topper Graph

Make a class graph of favorite "tree toppers". Make a large Christmas tree shape from green tagboard. Make a graph with appropriate number of columns on the tree; column headings might include: angel, star. bell, other. Children may sign their name under the column of their choice

Painting Fun

Paint with pine tree branches.
Paint with pine cones.

Supply the children with a pine branch, with pine needles on it, instead of a paint brush. You could use red and green for a holiday picture, or whatever colors they wish.

Ornaments
On The Tree

Cut out five felt trees.  Mount each one on heavy cardboard.   Label with the numbers one through five (It may be helpful to put corresponding number of dots also).  Cut out felt circles.  These will be used to decorate the tree with appropriate number of ornaments

Science Centers

Collect various species of evergreen branches. Collect pine cones or obtain them at the craft store. Have the children record their impressions of the feel and smell. Divide the students into groups. Have one group identify and compare the shapes of the evergreen. Have another group identify and compare the color. Another group can identify and compare the size of the various evergreens. Have all the groups notice the likeness and differences.

More Science Center Ideas

Have a science center with small branches of various evergreen trees. Supply a magnifying glass and have students look at the differences in the pine needles. Have the children identify the different types of evergreen trees after examining their branches. You might like to have posted within the center pictures of various coniferous trees along with some nonfiction books on trees and pine cones. Supply 3" X 5" note cards for labeling the tree branches. Collect pine cones and have them available in the center as well-students might also label theses.

Christmas Geography Activities

Find out where the Christmas trees in your area come from.
Give each student a map of North America and have them trace a line from their home to where the trees came from.

Winter Trees

Materials:
Green construction paper, 
Epsom Salts,
water,
paint
(optional evergreen shapes pre-cut if children need them)

Using green construction paper, children cut out an evergreen tree shape. (use pre-cut if necessary)  Mix Epsom salts and water. The children paint the mixture onto the trees. The result is that the trees will look frosted and glistening when they dry.

Popsicle Stick
Tree Ornaments

Glue four popsicle sticks of graduated length horizontally across a fifth popsicle stick.  Paint with green tempera.  Buttons and sequins can be added at a later time to simulate ornaments.

Pine Cone Trees

Paint a pine cone green using tempera paint. Allow to dry. Use an electric mixer to whip one part water and three parts of Ivory Snow. Sprinkle salt and silver glitter in the mixture; then stir it. Using your fingers, dab the mixture onto the pine cone to resemble snow. Press a mound of white clay onto a paper plate and put the pine cone into it. Add small plastic animals, if desired, to complete the wintry scene

Shining
Christmas Trees

Supplies:
Construction Paper
Glue
Colored Cellophane
Crayons

Cut out trees made of construction paper. Punch out holes in the tree. Have children glue colored pieces of colored cellophane or construction paper to the back to cover the holes. This makes it look like lights on the tree. Turn over and decorate the tree with whatever they wish (crayons, construction paper bits, etc.).

Handprint
Christmas Tree

Supplies:
Green, Red, and Yellow Construction Paper
Crayons, Pencils, or Markers
Glue

Cut ten handprints on green paper, a yellow star, and ten red hearts small enough to fit on the hand print. Start gluing one handprint at the top of the page and with the fingers pointing down. This is the top of your tree. Use the rest of the handprints fanning out to make a Christmas tree. In the star write I love....then in each heart let the kids pick special people...mommy, daddy, friends, grandparents, pets, dolls, etc. Glue star on the top and a heart on each hand.

Mini-Trees

Night Tree by Eve Bunting
The Biggest Most Beautiful Christmas Tree by Amye Rosenberg
Berenstain Bars' Christmas Tree by Stan and Jan Berenstain
     These stories are great lead-ins to decorating mini-trees.   Each child traces and cuts out as many green "hands" as they can.   Then they glue them (fingers down) onto green paper cones.  They curl the "fingers" to resemble limbs and add beads, sequins, etc. to decorate their trees.

A Walk
in the Forest

Take a walk with your class in a wooded area to spend some time exploring the different types of trees. Consider taking along a reference book with pictures of evergreens to help you identify the trees that you find. Bring along a notebook or a clipboard to write down questions to research after the walk. You might want to bring along a camera as well. As you walk, look for similarities and differences in the trees that you see.

Can you find any trees with needles? If so, count how many needles are in the bundle. Note that a white pine tree has five needles as does the word w-h-i-t-e.
Look along the ground. Do you see any cones? If so, pick one up to study and compare it to other cones you find. Can you determine which evergreen tree it came from?
Compare the color and texture of the bark on the different trees. Does it feel smoother or rougher than another tree? Is it the same color as the trees around it?
Can you see any holes in a tree, nests in the branches, or fallen trees? Study them to see if there are animals or insects living in them.
When you return from your walk, encourage your students to draw a picture; write a poem or a letter to somebody describing one of your observations or the entire nature walk experience.

Evergreen Stations

Talk to the class about the two kinds of trees: deciduous and coniferous.
Explain to the students that coniferous trees are evergreen trees.
Evergreen trees stay green all year long.
Put the students into four groups.
Send the groups to four corners or stations set up in the room. At each station have a different type of evergreen sample, such as a branch.
There should also be a large piece of paper at the station.
Give the groups different colors of markers and send them to a corner.
Have the students write down observations of the evergreen.
Only allow a short amount of time then tell the students to switch stations.
Have each group go to all of the stations.
After each group has been to every corner, bring the class back to their seats.
Have one person from each group stay at the last corner and read what was on the lists. Talk about the answers and different characteristics of the evergreens.

Tree Farms

Try growing some evergreen seedlings in your classroom during the winter season. When spring comes, they could be planted outside in the yard of your school. Keep a long-term record of the growth of the trees.

If possible, take your class on a field trip to a Christmas tree farm or a tree lot to learn about the life of a Christmas tree. Find out how the trees are grown, how Christmas trees came to be included in the Christmas celebration, the types of trees that are grown as Christmas trees, how they are shaped, and how many trees are needed each year.

. A Pine Cone
Bird Feeder

Tie a string around the cone to enable you to hang it in a tree.  Roll a pine cone in thin sugary icing. Sprinkle sesame seeds or sunflower seeds on the pine cone. Hang the cone from a tree. Record which birds come to eat and what time of day they come.

~Conifers ~
Cones, Seeds, and Needles!

This is a great place to discuss/review the purpose of fruits, flowers, seeds, bark, leaves, and roots. Bring in samples of each (both coniferous and deciduous trees) to show and share. If you have enough samples, allow students some time to "dissect." Have them record their observations (drawn and written) in a log book or science journal.

If you have studied deciduous trees prior to using this section, use a comparison chart or Venn diagram to compare the two groups. There are many comparisons to be made and this would work well with a large group or in small peer groups.

This would also be an appropriate time to review photosynthesis and the processes that plants use to create energy and oxygen. Depending on the level of your students, you could create a center activity surrounding the photosynthetic process. After some directed teaching, provide students with picture cards (or word cards) detailing the cycle. Have them "put the cycle together."

Fingerprints
of Your Local Conifers!

Materials: dark colored crayon (without paper wrapping) and paper
Tip: You may want to use more than one color of crayon.

Take your crayon and paper out with you on a walk.  Look for conifers. When you find a conifer, hold your paper up to the bark! Hold your crayon sideways (flat) and rub it across the paper. Your crayon will mark the "picture" of the bark of the tree. Continue on your walk.  Do at least 3 or 4 rubbings

Think about it!
Do the rubbings all look the same?
What are the differences?
How are the bark rubbings like your fingerprints?
Why does the tree need bark?

Pine
Scented Ornaments
DO NOT EAT THESE!!!!

1. Cut out shapes of trees from construction paper.
2. Put a few drops of scented pine oil in a small dish with 4 tablespoons of Elmer's glue.
3. Mix with cotton swab and spread scented glue on paper shape.
4. Sprinkle pine needles on the mixture and decorate with sparkles.
5. Punch a hole at top of shape and poke a pipe cleaner through hole to hang in a car as an air freshener or use as a scented gift tag.

Ice Cream Cone
Christmas Trees

Supplies:
Ice Cream Cones - Sugar Cones
Green Frosting
Misc. Candy Items

Take a sugar cone, turn it upside down and slather with thick, green frosting and stick candies on to decorate it.

Christmas Tree Hop

Cut out large Christmas Tree shapes from colored paper.  Laminate them and cut them out.  Place them on the floor and ask the children to hop from one tree to another.  

Gum Drop
Christmas Tree

Materials:

• Styrofoam cone
• 1 bag of gum drops
• box of tooth picks

Directions:
Stick toothpick in bottom of gum drop and the other end of tooth pick into cone. Start at the bottom and go around in a circle towards the top. When finished it will look like a Christmas tree.

If you start at the top it gets top heavy and falls over when trying to make it.

The Night Tree

Find a tree on the school grounds. Decorate it with strings of popcorn, cranberries, and apples. Scatter nuts and bread crumbs under the tree. Check everyday to see what is missing. Look for footprints to help you discover which animals might have visited the tree. Keep a record of your findings.

Why The Evergreen Trees
Never Lose Their Leaves