I can't believe we are 4/5 of the way through our 50 day challenge! It seems to have flown in, but I am a bit worried about whether or not we will fit 10 more activities into the next 17 days, considering how busy we will be!Today's activity has been in the wings for a while, and it is actually something which I know will be played with right up until Christmas itself - a felt Christmas tree. I saw this idea on Pinterest (where else!) a few months ago and knew instantly that I wanted to have one for Isabelle.
The tree is so simple to make. I bought a large piece of green felt from eBay, and a smaller selection of multicoloured felt from the same seller. I cut the green felt into a very basic triangle shape, and that was the tree! For the decorations, I cut bauble shapes from felt and added contrasting coloured stripes or other features, also made from felt, using our glue gun. For the Santa and snowman, I simply cut the required shapes out of felt and glued them together in the same way.
There is no need to use something to stick the baubles to the tree, as felt clings to itself and so the baubles attach to the tree perfectly. This is probably my favourite
thing about the tree. The fact that the baubles can be removed so easily makes it perfect for a tiny tot who may struggle to undo a fastening, and the fact that felt sticks to itself anywhere means that they decorations can be placed anywhere on the tree, any way up, and still attach perfectly. This, in my mind, makes it perfect for a toddler Isabelle's age who may not be ready to attach things in a more structured way.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Isabelle really loved her tree! She did her classic "Ohhh!" face when she saw it, and ran straight to it to play. She played throughout the day, and in the evening as well so it is definitely a hit. She loves to take the decorations off the tree, and is getting better at putting them on and giving them a pat to ensure they stay attached.
This activity isn't supposed to be anything but pure Christmas fun! We have a few more Christmassy/wintery activities to do over the next 10 days, and I'm so looking forward to getting into the festive spirit with Isabelle.
