In this craft, preschoolers transform pine cones into trees the Easter bunny endorses. Provide each child with one pine cone, pastel paint, a paint brush and small chocolate Easter eggs. Apply white spray paint to the pine cones and allow them to dry before starting the craft activity. The white base coat ensures that the pastel paint appears vibrant. Show the kids how to dip their paint brushes into pastel paint and apply the paint to the pine cones. Allow the pine cones to dry. Demonstrate how to push the chocolate eggs into the spaces between the pine cone's leaves.
Talk about the importance of helping wildlife during cold weather. Provide each preschooler with a large pine cone, peanut butter and winter bird seed. Teach them how to apply peanut butter between the scales of the pine cone. Spread a piece of newspaper under each pine cone. Show the children how to sprinkle the birdseed on the pine cone until all the peanut butter is covered. Tie a string around the top row of each child's pine cone.
Preschoolers create one-of-a-kind pine cone creatures requiring a lot of imagination and no glue. In addition to pine cones, provide buttons, plastic washers, pebbles, wild flowers, corks, shells, tiny pine cones, twigs, short branches and pine needle branches. Include assorted leaves, floral stems, short pine cones, pointy leaves, feathers, wiggly eyes, driftwood and stones.
Help your preschoolers to select pine cones that stand upright. Show the kids how to insert materials between the scales of the pine cones. Offer suggestions for using the materials, but encourage the preschoolers to let their imagination guide the creation of the craft. Materials for eyes include the plastic washers, pebbles or wildflowers. Use corks, shells, buttons or tiny pine cones for noses. Consider twigs, broken branches, floral stems or short pine cones for arms. Create a hat with wild flowers, pointy leaves, feathers or pine branches. Add wings with shells, leaves or branches. Use short sticks, pointy leaves or fork-shaped twigs for antennae. Make feet from maple leaves, pine needles or broken twigs. Use a stone, piece of driftwood or large branch to serve as a stand for the completed craft.
Complete a single cone to hang on a Christmas tree, or several cones to form an attractive centerpiece in a decorative bowl. Provide pine cones, glitter and glue to your preschoolers. Place glue on the tips or ends of your pine cone's leaves and ask the kids to apply glue to their pine cones. Sprinkle glitter on the glue and allow to dry. An option to replace the glue and glitter is glitter glue or glitter fabric paint applied to the tips. Tie a ribbon around the top section of the pine cone to hang on a tree.