Acorn and Tree Crafts and Learning Activities

 

How to Make Crafts and Learning Activities Relating to Acorns and Trees. Fun Printables, Craft Patterns, and Printable Books for Homeschool and Preschools

 

What you will need

Paper Lunch Bags

Brown Construction Paper or Twigs about 6" Long and at Least 1/2" Thick

Green Printer Paper

Water Color Paint and Brushes

Chenille Stems (Cut in Half) or Twisty Ties

Permanent Markers

Glue and Googly Eyes

 

How to Make the Paper Bag Acorn Craft:

1. If you aren't using real twigs for the stem, cut a piece of construction paper in half and roll the halves into tubes about 1/2" thick.

2. Stuff two or three plastic grocery bags into the bottom of the paper lunch bag.

3. Stick the twig or construction paper tube down into the bag so the tube is vertical.

4. Stuff more bags around the twig or tube rounding out the bottom of the bag.

5. Scrunch up the bag just above the stuffed grocery bag and secure it with a Chenille stem or Twisty tie.

6. Carefully roll down the top of the bag trying not to rip it. Place your fingers under the folded down top part to smooth it out and make it easier to fold down.

7. Fold under the top edge of the bag to make the edge even.

8. Paint the top of the bag with water color paint or other paint. When it is dry draw crossed lines to make it look like an acorn cap.

9. Punch in the pointed corners of the bag to make the acorn look rounded.

How to Make the Paper Bag Squirrel:

1. Stuff a paper lunch bag about three quarters full with plastic grocery bags or wadded up paper scraps.

2. Fold the corners of the bag in and then down and glue it closed.

3. Cut head, feet, tail, and arm shapes from construction paper and glue them to the stuffed paper bag. (A pattern for this craft is available to members and as an instant download.)

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Instant Download (Includes squirrel head, arms and head patterns.)

4. To finish glue on google eyes, and cut slits all around the tail to make it look furry.

Watch our "View it and Do it! Video

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Children will enjoy making an acorn-shaped book. On the inside pages they can draw pictures of things they can do even though they are still small, or write their own acorn stories.

This little acorn-shaped book comes with a poem page and pages on which your children can write or draw about what they would like to be when they grow up.

What you will need:

Tan and Brown Construction Paper

White Paper

Googly Eyes

Crayons or Markers

 

How to Make the Acorn Shape Book:

1. Print out the acorn bottom onto tan paper and the acorn top onto brown paper. Cut out the patterns. In class have your children glue the cap to the acorn and then draw a face on the acorn.

2. Print the acorn pages with poem onto white printer paper, make copies, and cut them out. Print the blank acorn pages onto white paper to make extra pages.

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3. In class have your children read the poem and discuss it. Have them think about what they would like to be and draw pictures or write about it in their books.

What I Can Be
Written by Carolyn Warvel

You may think I’m just a little acorn,
Living way up in this tree,

But I have a little secret,
I’m much more than you can see.

You only see my outside,
But there’s a glorious seed in me.

I have a lot of potential,
There’s much more that I can be.

Someday I’ll fall from here
And grow to be a tree!

©Carolyn Warvel

©2009, Digital by Design, Inc. -*See Copyright Information - Do not copy this poem and publish it on another web site or blog.

 

 

Read Bible stories about people who did great things even though they were small such as the story of David and Goliath and Samuel as a young boy.

Print out the Acorn Cap Patterns onto brown paper and the Acorn Bottom Patterns onto tan paper. (Above)

Cut them out and glue the caps to the bottoms. Use the finished acorn as a template to cut pages from white paper.

God's Oak Tree by Allia Zobel Nolan

This beautifully illustrated book is a great way to teach your children about God's Plan for the whole world.

It tells the story about how God planned for a tiny acorn to become a mighty oak tree and produce more or its kind.

As you turn the pages the acorn gradually disappears and a tree appears.

 

 

This is a great educational craft for home school projects. Use this craft with books about acorns or acorn unit studies. Have your children write poems on the leaves and attach them to their paper bag acorns. Display the acorns with silk oak leaves and paper bag squirrels.

1. Follow the directions above to make the paper bag acorns.

2. Cut out oak leaf shapes from green or other colors of paper. Read books about acorns (See below), and have your children write a poem about trees or acorns. Or have them use the poem below.

Free Oak Leaf

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The Oak Inside the Acorn
By Max Lucado / Tommy Nelson

In his touching picture book, master storyteller Max Lucado reveals that each one of us was created for a special purpose. The Oak Inside the Acorn is a heart-warming parable that encourages children to be the best they can be for God. This parallel to the bestselling book for adults, Cure for the Common Life, reminds parents to focus on their children's God-given abilities, while Children will see that all they need to do is to "Just be the tree God made you to be."

Little Acorn sees himself as very small and he's unsure of what he's supposed to do in life. Eventually, he grows into Big Oak, but he still wonders about his purpose. Though he tries as hard as he can, he can't grow oranges like his friends the orange trees, or produce beautiful flowers like his friends Pink Petunia or Rosie. But finally, he discovers that his mighty branches were created for a very special purpose! Recommended for ages 5 to 10.

 

The Tiniest Acorn
By Marsha T. Danzig

This is a great story for young children. They will identify with Lulu a tiny acorn that doesn't have any control over her world. As she is blown from place to place she meets other objects that have their place and a purpose in the world. She meets a tall pine tree that reaches up into the sky and shades everything below.

This makes Lulu wonder what she can do. Lulu is blown into a field of daises that sway in the wind and brighten the fields. Lulu knows she isn't as pretty as the daisies, and wonders again what she can do. She meets other objects, and each time she compares herself to them. Finally she is discovered by a young boy who knows more than she does. He plants her in the ground.

Lulu doesn't realize what is happening to her and is a little scared, but after a long time she learns that she has become a beautiful oak tree and that her purpose in life is to protect people from the sun and to share her beauty in the fall. But best of all she learns that she is to pass along her wisdom to her children and help them to realize their purpose.

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"There's power in the acorn and there's power in me.
Just like the tiny acorn that grows to be a tree,
Whose branches reach to heaven for all the world to see,
When I reach up to thee, Lord, I'll become what I am supposed to be."
© Carolyn Warvel

(It is illegal to copy this poem and place it on another web site even if you include the author.)

 

What you will need:

Brown and Tan Construction Paper or Card Stock

Brown Yarn

Hole Punch

Scotch Tape and Glue

 

What to do:

1. Print out the acorn top pattern onto dark brown paper and the acorn bottom pattern with the poem onto tan paper. If you want your children to come up with their own poems, use the blank acorn bottom pattern.

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2. Cut out the patterns, punch holes where indicated.

3. Cut long lengths of brown yarn and wind tape around one end of the pieces to make a "needle".

4. Show your children how to weave the yarn around the acorn top through the holes. Tape the ends of the yarn to the back of the acorn.

5. Glue the top of the acorn to bottom of the acorn.

This craft goes along with the book "The Boy Who Dreamed of an Acorn" by Leigh Casler, Illustrated by Shonto Begay, published by Penguin Books, 345 Hudson, NY, 10014.

In this book, a young Indian boy goes on a spiritual quest to discover his gifts. He wanted to dream a powerful dream of a bear or mountain lion, but he only dreamed of a tiny acorn that seemed to him to have no power at all. He went to a wise man who told him, "To each a different gift is given, and to each a different dream does come. Be happy with your dream." This story is about how a boy learns to accept his gifts and learns that each gift has a different kind of power. (This book is currently out of print, but you may be able to find it in your library. If your library doesn't have this book, ask them to place a request for this book. If the publishing company gets enough requests, they just might put it back into print.)

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Copyright Notice - The craft patterns, ideas, songs, etc. on this web site are copyrighted. You may not publish a copy of them on any other web site, but you may publish a picture of a finished project from this web site on another web site as long as you state where you got the project and include a link back to the project on this web site for the directions and patterns. It is illegal to copy this poem and place it on another web site even if you include the author.

 

 

The Boy Who Dreamed of an Acorn - by Leigh Casler, Illustrated by Shonto Begay, published by Penguin Books, 345 Hudson, NY, 10014.

This is a wonderful book about the gifts we are given and how we can learn to be happy with the way we were created. In this book a young Indian boy goes on a spirit quest to discover what his gifts are.

He wanted to dream a powerful dream of a bear or mountain lion, but he only dreamed of a tiny acorn that seemed to him to have no power at all. He went to a wise man who told him, "To each a different gift is given, and to each a different dream does come. Be happy with your dream." This story is about how a boy learns to accept his gifts and learns that each gift has a different kind of power.

(This book is currently out of print, but you may be able to find it in your library. If your library doesn't have this book, ask them to place a request for this book. If the publishing company gets enough requests, they just might put it back into print.)

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Use this printable coloring sheet with books about acorns in your homeschool. Before class print out copies of the following poem.

 

Use this printable coloring sheet with books about acorns in your homeschool. Before class print out copies of the following poem.

Be What You Were Meant to Be
Written by Carolyn Warvel

I’m just a little acorn way up in a tree
I may not seem important, but God has a plan for me.
Someday I may become the tree inside of me.

You don’t have to worry about what you cannot see.
Just put your trust in Jesus because he is the key.
He’ll help you to become the person you were meant to be.

(Do not publish this poem anywhere on the web or on Pinterest.)

Leave room on the paper for your children to draw a picture of an acorn. In class have your children draw a picture of an acorn to go along with the poem. You can also make a frame for the picture by cutting off the sides and gluing the picture to a piece of construction paper. Have your child glue fun foam leaf shapes all around the edge.

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This Bitty Bitty book goes along with the book "The Oak Inside the Acorn" and "God's Oak Tree".

Five Little Acorns

Five little acorns way up in a tree, one let go and said, "God has a plan for me.
Four little acorns way up in a tree, one dropped off and then there were three.
Three little acorns way up in a tree, one leaped off and said, "I want to be a tree!
Two little acorns way up in a tree, along came a squirrel as big as could be. One little acorn yelled, "You better flee!"
And the squirrel said, "Oh, good, there's one left for me!"

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"The Busy Tree" by Jennifer Ward and Lisa Voltammeters explains the significance of a strong, healthy tree with roots that go deep into the soil. Each page gives another example of how the tree shelters, protects, and supports wildlife and people.

Although the story is simple and straight forward it can be used to explore the deeper Biblical concept in Jeremiah 17:7-8 such as when our roots are anchored in God's words we can stand up against trouble putting our trust in God, and that we will produce fruit and draw others to Jesus.

Use the activity sheet to go along with this book. Children color the picture, draw in roots, and glue on pictures of animals.

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You can also find a Bible lesson "Rooted in God's Love" with more crafts and activities on The Resource Room to go along with this book.