Inspired by a tree
Do you have trees in your playground?
At some point they need to be trimmed.
Don’t forget to cut some of the removed branches into slices!
You never know what the tree is hiding within its branches. If the children carefully clean and sand down the slices, the tree will reveal its secrets to them. Once the wooden slices are varnished with a little oil (i.e. olive oil) you can see fine veins and patterns appearing very clearly.
These amazing figures came out of our pear tree trunk. The children interpreted the pattern as a king, a queen and a princess. What do you see? This activity is a great opportunity to philosophise with children.
By Regina Kruse-Özçelik