Earth Day is April 22, but we really celebrate the earth every day. If I Were A Tree written by Andrea Zimmerman and Illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong helps your child explore the world of trees. What does it feel like to be a tree? If I Were A Tree explores what it means to be a tree. Take a walk and identify trees near your home or in a nearby park. As the weather gets warmer it is the perfect time to investigate the outdoors.

Now we can make our 3D Tree! The following craft uses readily available items and can be completed with minimal help from an adult.

MATERIALS
- One 81/2 x 11 piece of blue construction paper
- One 8 1/2 x 11 piece of brown construction paper
- One 8 1/2 x 11 piece of green construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue (a stick works well for this project)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the brown construction paper into several long strips (at least 8 strips).
- Cut one of the brown strips in 1/2.
- Glue one half of a brown strip to the blue paper (Please refer to image, this will be the trunk of your tree).
- Glue the remaining longer strips in a semi circle, with one end attached to the tree trunk and the other ends extending off of the blue paper.
- Twist each long brown strip and glue the end to the blue paper. There are no rules here. Be creative. This step is what will make your tree appear 3D.
- Cut several small leaf shapes from the green paper and glue them individual leaves to the brown branches.
Happy Earth Day!