Symmetry Christmas Tree Printing

We had so much fun creating some symmetry spider printings for Halloween, how could we not do a Christmas symmetry printing too? Say hi to this fun art and math activity!

Learning Symmetry through Art

This is a great hands on way to introduce young children to the abstract idea of symmetry. As they fold and unfold the paper, they get to see how the patterns are repeated on both sides of the paper. Use this activity to highlight the mathematical terms 'mirror line' and 'symmetrical'.

A fun extension

Place a mirror on the fold line and have the kid look at the Christmas tree through the mirror. The mirror image will be the same as the patterns they have created.

A Symmetry Printing Tip

Do the painting and symmetry printing in small steps. The symmetry printing is most effective when the paint is still wet. So paint the tree first and print the tree, then the star and the Christmas tree stand. Lastly the lights on the Christmas tree. If your child is taking a long time to paint on each color, then print every color while the paint is still wet.

Looking for more learning activities to teach symmetry?

We have some fun ideas to learn symmetry using Duplo!
Chalk Academy has great ideas to teach symmetry in Chinese characters in this post.
A Little Pinch of Perfect's Symmetry Circles is another fun way to explore symmetry.