Bring nature inside while practicing fine motor skills with this salt dough!
What smells remind you of Christmas? Cinnamon? Anise? The great outdoors? All the above? Incorporate all the smells of Christmas into one activity with this cute salt dough Christmas wreath activity! It’s a bit messy and may take several sessions to complete with your children but they will feel so proud to see their wreaths hanging in their home or classroom knowing they created it! Bonus - these make great gifts!
🎄Pro Tip: Bulk food stores are a great place to get herbs and spices that remind us of the Christmas season.
⚖️ Weight it out: Remind children to be aware of the number of things they’re putting on their wreath. If too many things are on the wreath it may not be able to hang.
🍪 Get cooking! Kids may be interested to try some of the herbs and spices used. This is a great way to extend the activity by doing a baking activity with children using the spices from the Christmas wreath activity...gingerbread anyone?
Materials
For this activity you will need:
1 cup salt
2 cups flour
1 cup water
Large bowl for mixing
Green food coloring/paint
Elmer’s glue
Pinecones, sticks and twigs
Cinnamon, star anise, cloves etc.
Red and green beads, sequins, and glitter
String or hook to hang
Learning Outcomes
Domain
Physical
Skills
Sensory Exploration
Indicators:
Using all senses in the exploration of properties and functions of objects and materials
Instructions
Step 1:
Start by making your salt dough wreath by mixing the salt, flour and water together. Once a dough is formed, roll into a long snake and wrap it in a circle. Next, push the dough flat to create about a 2” flat surface for your wreath.
Step 2:
Bake your salt dough in an oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or until firm. Let it cool completely.
Step 3:
Once cooled, invite your child to decorate the wreath how they see fit using Elmer’s glue to make them stick.
Step 4:
Once they’re happy with the layout hang it on your door or in a window!
⬆️ For older preschoolers: Hang the wreath in a place they can see; this will help create a sense of autonomy with seeing their artwork on display for the season.
⬇️ For younger toddlers: Have younger children help to count how much flour, water, and salt you measure out and build a bit of math into this activity.
Playful Questions
What would happen to the dough if we added more green food coloring?
Does the smell of the cinnamon remind you of anything?
What shape is the anise?
How does the texture of the pine needles feel compared to the salt dough?
How can we divide up the dough we made so each friend has enough for their wreath?
