One of our favorite ways to nurture preschoolers’ creativity and exploration is to offer them invitations to create. This approach presents children with open-ended materials and minimal instruction, allowing them to explore and express their creativity freely. We have an adorable invitation to create a Christmas tree on the blog today to share with you! Keep reading to see why invitations to create are so beneficial, and to find out how to set up your own with your preschooler at home.

Why use Invitations to Create?

Invitations to create are a great way to spark imagination, develop problem-solving skills, boost independence and confidence, improve fine motor skills, and encourage emotional expression. Invitations to create encourage children to explore, imagine, and learn through discovery. By offering open-ended, creative activities, teachers and parents can foster skills like independence, problem-solving, and emotional expression, all while making learning fun and meaningful. This Christmas-themed activity is a great example, and one that is easy to set up in your own home!

You will need:

Large foam cone (find it at your local dollar or craft store, or on Amazon here)
Green playdough (we love to make our own using this recipe from I Heart Naptime, or you can buy some on Amazon right here)
Various trinkets and decorations (we found so many at our local craft store and dollar store, but you can get some things on Amazon like pompoms, stars, berries, and ornaments)

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Instructions:

Set out the large foam cone. Help your child cover it in the green playdough.
Once the cone is covered, you can decorate your tree! Let them decorate it in whatever way they’d like! This allows them to be independent and creative.
Take the tree apart and do it all over again! Create a new masterpiece each time. It’s a simple as that!