"I am" Tree
This activity is a great way to increase your confidence while being super creative. By using leaves and sticks picked from nature, you can create and decorate your own trees with positive words that describe you. Just like everyone is unique in their own way, every tree will be unique, too! Hang the tree in your room or stick it on the fridge to remind yourself how awesome you are!
Supplies:
1 piece of construction paper (any color)
2 sticks
7 leaves
Plain white paper (notebook paper or computer paper)
Scissors
Tape
Glue stick
Liquid glue
Markers
Brown colored pencil
Activity Steps:
Step 1: Gather your leaves and sticks outside. A fun way to do this is to go on a nature walk with a family member or friend! Look out for leaves that are a cool color or fun shape that you like! Pick 2 sticks that are about the size of a pencil.
Step 2: After you pick your leaves and sticks, gather the rest of your supplies. Before you begin, make sure you have all of your supplies laid out on a clean workspace.
Step 3: First, glue your 2 sticks to the bottom of the construction paper to make the tree trunk. Put a thin line of glue on each stick and then place them on the bottom of the construction paper. The sticks should be vertical and placed about a finger length apart. Vertical means a line going from the top of the paper to the bottom. Wait about 5 minutes for the glue to dry.
Step 4: After your sticks are glued down, tape your leaves to the construction paper to form the rest of the tree (You can use glue if you prefer). I put 5 leaves on the tree and 2 leaves on the bottom as if they fell off the tree. You can decide how you want to arrange your leaves! I decided to use the same type of leaves, but you can mix and match the type of leaves you use. Be creative! Also, I used 7 leaves, but you can use more if you would like. Once your leaves are taped down, you might consider drawing branches to connect each leaf to the tree trunk!
Tip: The bigger the leaves, the better! Take the stems off the leaves to make it easier to arrange them.
Trick: Fold the tape so that it looks like a bandaid about to be put on your finger. The sticky part of the tape should be on the outside. Then, put the tape on the back of the leaf before taping it down to the construction paper. If you need help with this part, ask an adult to help you!
Step 5: Write “I am...” in the middle of the tree trunk with any color marker. Then, color in the tree trunk using a brown colored pencil or brown marker to make it look more solid.
Step 6: Next, cut one strip of paper for each leaf you have. For example, since I picked 7 leaves, I will cut out 7 strips of paper. To make the strips of paper, first draw little rectangles on your white piece of paper. Make sure the rectangles are about the length of your pinky finger. Then, cut out the little rectangles with your scissors. If you need help cutting, make sure to ask an adult for help!
Step 7: On each strip of paper, write a positive word that describes yourself. Pick words that finish the “I am…” sentence. (Examples of words: creative, strong, nice, honest, respectful, fun, etc.). I used a different color for each word, but you can choose to use one color!
Step 8: Once each strip of paper has a word written on it, glue one strip of paper to each leaf. First, place glue on the back of each strip of paper. Then, carefully place one strip of paper in the middle of each leaf.
Now your tree is complete! Feel free to decorate your tree or the background by drawing a sun, clouds, grass, more leaves, etc. Be super creative and make it your own!
Step 9: Hang your tree in your room or on your fridge to remind yourself of all your positive traits!
Now that you have created your own tree, you can use your creativity to make “You are” trees for important people in your life and to think of words to describe your parents, siblings, grandparents, or friends!! “You are” trees can make great gifts! Have fun with it!
~Made by Nicole S.