Every year, thousands of people flock to Washington, D.C., to take part in the National Cherry Blossom Festival that celebrates the spring season. According to the National Cherry Blossom Festival website, the first festival was a one-day event in 1927 that paid tribute to Tokyo's original gift of trees in 1912. The event has turned into a month-long festival that brings over 1.5 million visitors to the nation's capital to see the beautiful white and pink blooms of the cherry trees. As the first day of spring approaches, you can bring the excitement of the National Cherry Blossom Festival to your classroom and celebrate the arrival of spring with this fun craft! Extend learning by teaching children about cherry trees and joining the Bloom Watch to see when the blossoms reach peak bloom.
Download our FREE printable below!
Required Materials:
1Trace the Tree Outline with Glue
Download our free printable and print out copies on card stock paper. Have children trace the tree outline with glue.
2 Sprinkle with Salt
Sprinkle salt on top of the glue. Make sure as much of the glue is covered as possible. Shake off the excess salt.
3 Apply Brown Watercolor Paint
Have children use a paintbrush to paint the tree brown. As children paint, they'll notice a cool spreading effect when they put paint on the salted glue. Let paint dry.
4 Create Cherry Blossoms with Glue
Have children swirl glue around the tree branches to create the outline for the cherry blossoms.
5 Sprinkle with Salt
Sprinkle salt on top of the glue. Make sure as much of the glue is covered as possible. Shake off the excess salt.
6 Apply Pink Watercolor Paint
Have children use a paintbrush to paint the pink cherry blossoms. Experiment with the amount of water you add to the liquid watercolor to make different shades of pink. Let paint dry.
Add this fun craft to your spring lesson plans! Be sure to browse our selection of art supplies, activity ideas, and seasonal crafts.