Arbor Day - Tree Theme for Preschool


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Tree Songs and Fingerplays  

tree theme for preschool

The Apple Tree
Way up high in the apple tree (raise arms overhead)
Two little apples smiled at me (make fists or circles with hands)
I shook that tree as hard as I could (move hands as if shaking something)
Down came the apples (falling motion with fists)
Mmmmmm-were they good! (rub tummy)

Trees (Tune: The Farmer in the Dell)
The trees are growing high,
The trees are growing high.
With soil and rain and sunny days,
The trees are growing high.
The trees are growing roots,
The trees are growing roots.
With soil and rain and sunny days,
The trees are growing roots.
The trees are growing bark,
The trees are growing bark.
With soil and rain and sunny days,
The trees are growing bark.

Tree Art Activities

Tree Rubbing
Have children hold a piece of paper against a tree and use the side of a crayon to make a tree bark rubbing. This can be done in pairs with one child holding the paper and the other child doing the rubbing.

Creative Tree
Give children a cut-out of a tree trunk with branches to glue on a sheet of construction. Provide a variety of art materials - tissue paper, construction paper, pom-pom balls, buttons, etc. and have them create colorful trees any way they would like.

Tape Tree Art
Have kids rip masking or painter's tape into different sized strips. Arrange the tape on cardstock in the design of trees with branches. Let children paint over the tape. When dry, rip the tape to reveal tape tree art.

Family Tree
Create a large tree on the wall with construction paper. Let children bring in pictures of their families and add the pictures to the tree.

Tree Math and Science

Tree Trunk Estimating
Find a tree outside and ask children to guess how long of a string will wrap around the trunk. Have each child cut their piece of string and then see how close they are.

Parts of a Tree
Place different parts of a tree in your science area for observation. You can include: leaves, branches, acorns, bark, pinecones, pine needles, tree nuts, etc.

Tree Motor Skills and Movement

Leaf Dancing
Play some classical music and let the children pretend to be falling leaves and move to the music. Give each child a real or face leaf to hold as they move.

Tree Snacks

Broccoli Trees
Serve broccoli florets (little trees) and dip for a healthy snack.

Cucumber and Pretzel Stick Trees
Allow children to arrange pretzel sticks to make a tree trunk and cucumbers for leaves. Once they assemble their tree, they can eat their snack.

Other Tree/Arbor Day Resources