Towering majestically over all the other trees is the giant sequoia. It is the largest tree in the world and it's also a tree with a very long lifespan. Very few giants remain compared to a few hundred years ago. Which is one of the reasons these trees are now protected. Imagine a tree that can measure 57 feet around! In this activity, you and your child will make your own giant sequoia and learn more about this amazing tree.
What You Need:
- Paper cup
- Child safety scissors
- Brown and green construction paper
- Clear tape
- Glue stick
- Cardboard paper towel tube
- Brown or black marker
What You Do:
- Help your child cut out the bottom of a paper cup. This will be the base of your tree so it can stand up.
- Have your child wrap the cup in brown construction paper and tape it make sure it is secure.
- Next, roll the paper towel tube in brown construction paper leaving 4 inches hanging over one of the ends. Tape the construction paper in place.
- Have your child cut the end that is overhanging into strips. These will become the branches and you should be able to bend them down a little after you are done.
- Hold the wrapped cup upside down so that the cut-out bottom is facing up and place the tree trunk into the cup.
- Invite your child to decorate her giant sequoia by using a marker to make bark and knots.
- Help your child cut out leaves from green construction paper and glue them onto the branches.
- Let your giant sequoia tree dry and then enjoy your ode to one of nature's masterpieces!
Did You Know?
Some sequoias are as old as 3,500 years. Imagine what they have seen. Sequoias can have 11,000 cones at any given time. Squirrels and beetles help open the cones so that the seeds can come out and fall to the forest floor for new trees to grow. Giant sequoias are declining in population so it is definitely a good thing that they produce so many seeds because they are difficult to grow. If you need any inspiration for this activity, you and your child can look through a book that has some pictures of these amazing trees, and hopefully your child will get a sense of just how big they really are!
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