Door Decor

Materials

Scissors

White drawing paper

Construction paper

Glue

Crayons

Instructions

1. Find a space that is approximately 4' x 4' (1 m x 1 m), such as a small bulletin
board or wall space, and cover it with white construction paper.
2. Cut out a tree trunk shape from brown construction paper and glue it in the
middle of the white paper.
3. Explain to the children that this is going to be the classroom family tree.
Whenever a parent comes into the classroom, the child will paint his parent's
hands with fingerpaint (any color) and the parent will make a handprint on
the tree. The children gather around the parent and the child as the child
paints his parent's hand. As more parents come to the classroom, the tree
begins to blossoms with many wonderful colors. This is a great way to encourage
parents to volunteer or visit and become involved in their child's learning
experience. The children can't wait until their parents come in to the classroom
so they can paint their hands!
More to do
Add seasonal decorations to the family tree as the holidays and seasons change.
At the end of the year, add the children's small handprints to the family tree.
Discuss the size difference. Take a picture of the children in front of the family
tree. Make a copy of the picture for each child to have as an end-of-the-year gift.