Four Seasons Tree Craft for Preschool and Early Elementary Learners

This post may contain affiliate links.

If you’re teaching young kids about the changing seasons, this Four Seasons Tree Craft is a must-try! It’s simple to prep, fun to make, and a wonderful hands-on way to reinforce science concepts. Whether you’re homeschooling, teaching in a classroom, or just crafting at home, this project is perfect for preschoolers and early elementary kids alike.

Why Teach the Four Seasons?

Kids love to observe the world around them, and learning about the seasons is a key science concept in early childhood. Through this craft, children can visualize how trees change throughout the year and engage in sensory, fine motor, and creative learning.

Tree & Seasons Book Pairings

Pair your tree craft with one of these engaging picture books to enhance learning:

• The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons (classic pick!)

• Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup

• Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson (a favorite in our home!)

• A Tree for All Seasons by Robin Bernard

• Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman

• Leaves by David Ezra Stein

These books provide rich visuals and gentle science explanations to support your seasonal tree lesson.

The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons, is a cute one that shows all of the seasons of a tree!

How to Make a Four Seasons Tree Craft

You can create this craft two ways: using our free printable tree template, or using colored construction paper. Both options are fun and creative!

Watch it here!

Materials Needed:

• Cardboard tube (toilet paper, paper towel, or wrapping paper roll)

• 4 pieces of paper (colored or white)

• Crayons, markers, or stickers

• Glue stick or tape

• Scissors

• (Optional) Free printable tree template- see below

To Make the Tree Craft with My Template:

You will need to download the free template. It has 4 different trees, one for each of the four seasons.

DOWNLOAD the Four Seasons Tree Craft Template Now!

Once you have printed your templates, color the trees.

Stack them up and cut them all at the same time so they are all the same size. Bubble cut around them with the summer tree on the top.  This one is the largest and will make the rest of them even. You will need to trim the bottom and the side of the trunk off to fit them into the toilet paper tube. It won’t be perfect, but it doesn’t matter!

Fold all four of the trees in half, with the picture folded inward.

To glue them together, you will put two pieces together at a time. You attach half of spring to half of summer, then half of summer to half of the autumn tree, then autumn to winter, then spring to winter. This will make it a complete circle.

Cut small silts either in the trees just at the top of the trunk, or in the top of the tube. This helps secure it. However you may need a tiny bit of tape to keep it in place, too.

To Make the Tree with Colored Construction Paper:

To make the four seasons tree with colored construction paper, you will need 4 colored pieces of paper.  We used white for winter, orange for autumn, light green for spring and regular green for summer.

Draw a basic tree template on one of the papers and cut all four of the pieces at the same time so they are even.

Draw a tree shape with a short trunk on the top paper.  Cut all of them out at once so they were the same shape and size. Fold them all in half. and match up the sides together as described above so you have all four of them connected. Glue them together with a glue stick.

If you are going to decorate, you may want to do this before securing the trunk to the tree.

Let your little ones decorate each side according to the season!  Use stickers or just draw and color the trees.

Learning Extensions & Seasonal Science Tips

• Observe a Real Tree: Visit a nearby tree throughout the year to observe and photograph how it changes.

• Weather Journal: Have kids keep a simple log of what the weather is like each season.

• Leaf Sorting Activity: Collect leaves in autumn and sort by size, shape, or color.

• Nature Walk: Discuss signs of seasonal change during a nature walk.

• Art Meets Science: Use real materials (leaves, twigs, flowers) to decorate each season of the tree.

Skills Kids Build with This Activity:

• Observation and comparison

• Fine motor skills

• Seasonal awareness

• Color recognition

• Creative expression