Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Christmas Tree Collage: Free Printable Craft Activity for Reception
- ForReception
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Christmas Tree Collage is a free printable craft activity for Reception (ages 4 to 5). Children tear green paper into small pieces and stick them down to make a tree, then add a trunk, baubles and a star. It needs no scissors, only paper, glue and a pencil.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children build a Christmas tree picture from torn paper. They tear green paper into small pieces and glue them into a big triangle. Then they tear brown paper to make a trunk, stick on scraps for baubles and add a star at the top. There is no cutting. Each step is short, so a child can work at their own pace and make their own choices about colour and where things go.
- Tear green paper into small pieces.
- Glue the pieces in a big triangle on your sheet.
- Make a brown trunk from torn brown paper.
- Stick on scraps for baubles.
- Add a star at the top.
Getting ready to build your tree
Gather your paper
Collect scraps of green paper for the tree and brown paper for the trunk. Old magazines, wrapping paper and card packaging all work. Keep a few bright scraps aside for baubles.
Tear, do not cut
Show your child how to pinch the paper with both hands and pull gently. Small pieces fit together best. Rough edges are part of the look of a collage.
Glue a little at a time
Spread glue on a small patch of the triangle, then press the torn pieces on. Let pieces overlap a little so no white paper shows through.
Finish with the extras
Stick on scraps for baubles and place a star at the top. Let your child decide where each one goes. Their tree does not have to match anyone else's.
Why tear and stick paper?
Tearing paper looks simple, but it asks a lot of small hand muscles. Children pinch with finger and thumb, hold the paper steady with one hand and pull with the other. This kind of fine motor practice helps with later skills such as holding a pencil, using scissors and doing up buttons.
Collage is also a good way to let young children make choices. They decide which pieces to use, where to put them and when the picture is finished. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, this fits the Expressive Arts and Design area, where children explore and use different materials to make something of their own.
Fun facts about trees and collage
- Many fir trees are evergreen. That means they keep their needle shaped leaves all year round.
- The word collage comes from a French word that means to stick or to glue.
- A triangle is a flat shape with three straight sides and three corners.
- Paper is made from wood fibres, which is why old paper can be torn into soft, rough edged pieces.
- Many families in the UK put up a decorated tree at Christmas.
Skills and curriculum link
- Tearing paper
- Sticking and gluing
- Fine motor control
- Making choices
- Talking about their work
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Years Foundation Stage | Expressive Arts and Design | Creating with Materials | Reception |
What children will be able to do
- I can tear paper into pieces.
- I can stick pieces to make a picture.
- I can say what I made.
Ideas to help your child talk and think
- ShapesA tree can be built from a big triangle. Ask your child what other shapes they can see around the room.
- ColoursGreen is a mix of blue and yellow. If you have paints, you could try mixing a green together another day.
- SizeSmall pieces fill a space neatly and big pieces cover it fast. Let your child try both and notice the difference.
- TexturesTorn paper feels different from cut paper. Ask your child to run a finger along a torn edge and describe it.
Key words
- TearTo pull paper apart with your fingers.
- CollageA picture made by sticking different pieces of paper or other things onto a page.
- TriangleA shape with three straight sides and three corners.
- TrunkThe thick brown part of a tree that holds it up.
- BaubleA round Christmas decoration that hangs on a tree.
- OverlapWhen one piece sits partly on top of another.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for you.
- Lay out the paper, glue and pencil before you begin. Let your child tear the green paper into small pieces first.
- Work through the activity together the first time. Talk about each choice, such as where to put the baubles.
- Look at the notes on page 2 together. Praise effort and ideas, not neatness.
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence, and your child may try a new idea.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Draw a faint triangle on the page for your child to fill. Let them use bigger pieces of paper if small ones feel fiddly. Tear one piece first to show them how, then let them have a go at their own pace.
To stretch confident children
Make a second tree with a pattern, such as one dark green piece then one light green piece. Or sort the torn pieces by size before sticking. Ask your child to explain how they chose each piece.
Make it a game
Play I spy on the finished picture. Say, "I spy something round," or "I spy something brown." Your child finds it on the tree. Then swap, so your child gives the clues and you guess.
Talk about it
- Tell me about your tree.
- Which colours did you choose, and why?
- What was tricky about tearing the paper?
- Where did you put the baubles?
- What shape did you use for the tree?
- What would you change if you made another one?
Take it off the page
Nature collage
Collect fallen leaves and small twigs on a walk. Stick them onto card to make a tree or any picture your child chooses.
Tearing hunt
Look around the house for safe scrap paper in different colours. Sort it by colour, then tear it up for the next collage.
Decoration drawing
Draw a tree on plain paper and decorate it with pencils or crayons. Talk about how it looks different from the torn paper version.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Keep glue and paper within reach. The finished picture does not need to look neat. Ask about what they made and display it somewhere they can see it.
Teachers
Use it as a table activity, a choosing time task or part of a Christmas week. It needs no preparation beyond printing and gathering scrap paper. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed groups, and the curriculum link is Expressive Arts and Design.
Home educators
Pair it with a picture book about winter or Christmas, and a walk to look at real trees. Print it again for brothers and sisters so they can each make their own version.
Where this skill leads
Before this sheet, children explore paper by scrunching, folding and squeezing it. They also play with dough, paint and sand, which build hand strength in other ways.
After it, children move on to using scissors, drawing with more control and making models from different materials. A simple collage like this is a good first step towards all of them.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- Tell me about your picture.
- Which colours did you choose?
- What was tricky about tearing the paper?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Christmas Tree Collage for?
It is written for Reception, ages 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Younger children can join in with help, and older children can try the stretch idea on page 2.
- What will children practise?
They practise tearing, sticking and fine motor control. They also make choices about colour and placement, and talk about what they made. These are all useful early skills for art and for writing.
- What do I need besides the printable?
You need glue, a pencil and scraps of green and brown paper. A few bright scraps for baubles and something for a star help too. No scissors are needed, because the paper is torn by hand.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. The sheet prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. The colour comes from the paper your child tears and sticks on, so any scrap paper you have will work.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another group of children whenever you like.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a table activity, a choosing time task or a Christmas week craft. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas for children at different levels.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It is a screen free printable that uses paper, glue and a pencil. It suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays, and it gets children talking about what they are making.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.