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Grow your own Christmas tree sponge

10 Comments Toddler, Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade

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How would your kids like to grow their own Christmas tree sponge this year? They can have their chance if you decide to grow a Christmas tree sponge!

Growing a Christmas tree sponge is a great way to combine science (e.g. botany) with a fine motor activity (e.g., scissors skills).

If you want your Christmas tree sponge to be ready by December 25, I suggest you get this activity started sooner rather than later! (Although it might be just as fun to have a mini Christmas tree the kids can take care of even after the holidays are over.)

Note: For more Christmas activities your kids will love, see my Christmas Activities for Kids page.

Grow your own Christmas tree sponge with this super fun Christmas science and fine motor activity your kids can enjoy over and over! || Gift of Curiosity

To do this activity, I gathered the following materials on a tray:

  • A small container of grass seed (although other fast sprouting seeds would probably work as well)
  • A sponge cut into the shape of a Christmas tree
  • A water bottle (not pictured)
Grow your own Christmas tree sponge with this super fun Christmas science and fine motor activity your kids can do over and over! || Gift of Curiosity

I started by soaking the sponge in water. Then I invited my kids to cover the Christmas tree shaped sponge with our grass seeds.

Grow your own Christmas tree sponge with this super fun Christmas science and fine motor activity your kids can do over and over! || Gift of Curiosity

Once the sponge was covered in seeds, they used the spray bottle to ensure the seeds were quite damp.

Grow your own Christmas tree sponge with this super fun Christmas science and fine motor activity your kids can do over and over! || Gift of Curiosity

My kids continued to spray the sponge every day. (I also poured water on the tray as another way of keeping the sponge wet.)

About two and a half weeks after we started the project, our tree had a noticeable amount of grass growing on it. At this point some of the seeds had sprouted very tall blades of grass, while others had just begun sprouting.

Grow your own Christmas tree sponge with this super fun Christmas science and fine motor activity your kids can do over and over! || Gift of Curiosity

A week later (so about three and a half weeks after we started the project), the grass was full and bushy. At this point, our tree was ready for a haircut!

Grow your own Christmas tree sponge with this super fun Christmas science and fine motor activity your kids can do over and over! || Gift of Curiosity

Oh boy did my kids love this part! I handed them pair of kid-friendly scissors and invited them to trim the Christmas tree sponge. My daughter started by trimming just a bit from the top.

Grow your own Christmas tree sponge with this super fun Christmas science and fine motor activity your kids can do over and over! || Gift of Curiosity

But ultimately, my daughter was having so much fun that she just kept cutting and cutting until the grass on our Christmas tree sponge was quite short.

Grow your own Christmas tree sponge with this super fun Christmas science and fine motor activity your kids can do over and over! || Gift of Curiosity

Fortunately, grass grows quickly. We waited another week or so until it grew back, and then we were able to trim it again. 🙂

 
STEAM Kids Christmas
Looking for more Christmas ideas that incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM)? Then you’ll love STEAM Kids Christmas.This e-book includes 25 days of holiday projects that will wow the boredom right out of kids!

 

More Christmas resources

More Christmas posts from Gift of Curiosity:

  • Christmas Montessori activities
  • Q-tip painted Christmas tree
  • Paper plate reindeer craft
  • Christmas sensory bin
  • Cinnamon Christmas ornaments
  • Candy cane experiment
  • Christmas game: What’s in the bag?
  • Christmas Printables Pack
  • Christmas Bingo
  • Christmas do-a-dot printables
  • Christmas gingerbread man templates

For more Christmas activities your kids will love, see my Christmas Activities for Kids page and my Christmas Activities for Kids Pinterest board. 

Grow your own Christmas tree sponge with this super fun Christmas science and fine motor activity your kids can enjoy over and over! || Gift of Curiosity

Filed Under: Toddler, Preschool, Christmas, Kindergarten, Fine Motor, 1st Grade, Botany, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, Science, STEAM

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Reader Interactions

10 Comments

  1. Alison - The Way He Plays

    November 30, 2014 at 3:08 pm

    I love the idea of bringing nature into Christmas, so much fun!

    Reply to this comment
  2. kari

    December 1, 2014 at 7:42 am

    What a fun activity! I know my girls will love it. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂

    Reply to this comment
  3. Rachel Kaylynn

    December 1, 2014 at 8:21 am

    Such a brillant idea, can’t wait to try this with my kiddos!

    Reply to this comment
  4. Giuditta Hudson-Gool

    December 1, 2014 at 12:50 pm

    This is such a fun idea – I love it! Science, nature, learning & Christmas all rolled into one! 😉

    Reply to this comment
  5. Jennifer

    December 2, 2014 at 2:06 am

    Eek, this is so cool! I wonder if alfaalfa sprouts or broccoli seeds would work (that’s what I have on hand).

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie SG

      December 2, 2014 at 9:30 am

      I bet those seeds would work as well. Your tree might have a slightly different look due to how different seeds sprout, but I imagine the effect would still be cool!

      Reply to this comment
  6. Science Kiddo

    December 4, 2014 at 8:39 pm

    Such a fun way to bring some life into the house during these cold winter months! Thanks for sharing at STEM Saturday!

    Reply to this comment
  7. Kiley

    November 11, 2019 at 4:35 pm

    I suggested this to our Elementary team and they said that it took forever to grow and the sponges got moldy before they grew. Any ideas? Thanks. I would still love to try and do this.

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie

      November 12, 2019 at 6:10 am

      Hmm. . . I have no idea what to suggest as we did not have any problems. Perhaps there is a climate difference between where we did the activity (California) and where your team did the activity that makes a difference. Or perhaps your team kept the sponges wetter than we did and it lead to mold?

      Reply to this comment
  8. munchkin

    September 1, 2021 at 1:57 pm

    Thanks for sharing such amazing activities. Can’t wait to try this with my daughter.

    Reply to this comment

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I help parents who are transitioning into homeschooling shed old mindsets and embrace their homeschooling superpowers so they can create a homeschool they love where their children will thrive.

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