Drinking Straw Christmas Tree

This Christmas tree project is fun and easy for kids to make and uses supplies you probably already have on hand.

I am behind and just getting around to posting the first activity from our book advent calendar.  The book was The Littlest Christmas Tree and it's about a little tree who wants so badly to be a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.  It is passed over again and again until Christmas Eve.  The man who runs the tree stand takes him home to his son, Nathan.  Nathan decorates the tree with homemade ornaments and puts it in his bedroom. The littlest Christmas tree becomes the happiest Christmas tree.

I have to admit that I did almost all of the project myself.  We got off to a good start with lots of enthusiasm.  Then Drew discovered that if you cut the pieces of straw small enough, they would go flying through the air.

It sure doesn't look like he's having much fun.

After that, glue and paper paled in comparison to the joy of making a big mess. We ended up with a floor that looked like this:


As if it wasn't dirty enough already.

I scrounged up some of the cut straw pieces and we made our tree.  Drew did help a little.
 

When we were done and the glue was almost dry, he ripped all the straws off, announced that it was beautiful, and hung it on his bedroom door.

I do not understand 3 year old boys, but that's nothing new.

Don't forget to head on over to see what Jackie and her boys at Ready. Set. Read! are up to today!!