DIY Gumdrop Christmas Tree
- Learning Resources Posted On Nov 21, 2022 | STEM
Are you looking for a fun, screen-free activity for your little ones this holiday season? I highly recommend building Gumdrop Christmas Trees! The activity is inexpensive, has minimal setup, and is adored by people of all ages. Who doesn’t like incorporating candy into a project?!
Building structures from toothpicks and gumdrops is an excellent STEM activity incorporating science, learning, and math into play. All you need is a bunch of toothpicks and some spiced gumdrops. I had a hard time finding gumdrops locally (I was shocked since it is Christmas time!), so if you run into that issue, mini marshmallows will also work just as well.
I laid the supplies on the table and told my girls that we would try and build Christmas trees. They are only three and five years old, so they needed some advice on getting started. I explained that they first needed to build a base, and then after that, they would just add to it as they saw fit.
We talked and walked through the base building together. After that, they caught on to the process and began constructing their trees!
![](https://mcstaging.learningresources.com/media/wysiwyg/Halloween_Brand_Team_45_.png)
![](https://mcstaging.learningresources.com/media/wysiwyg/Halloween_Brand_Team_45_.png)
As the building continued, the girls would point out if the structure was wobbling, and I would show them how they could add support with more toothpicks.
Finally, all that was left was adding a yellow gumdrop star at the top.
This was a fun project and a wonderful way to incorporate a screen-free STEM activity into the holidays. If your children are a bit older, you can even set up a competition to see who can build the tallest or most elaborate tree. For younger kids, just providing the toothpicks and gumdrops will create an awesome fine motor STEM activity. Regardless of age, this is a fun project to do together as a family. It’s something that both kids and adults are sure to enjoy!