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Make · Wild and Tumble activity

Painted pine cones

Dip, dab and sparkle. Turn pine cones into colourful decorations.

  • 20 min total
  • Messy fun
  • Ages 2–5*
  • Indoors or out
  • Autumn and winter
Let's do this

*Illustrative age guidance. Your child's development and circumstances matter more than a number.

A tiny plan for your day

Estimated time: 4 min to prepare · 12 min to paint · 4 min to tidy. It's fine to stop early.

Before you start

What you’ll need

  • A few dry pine cones
  • Washable paint in a shallow tray
  • A paintbrush or sponge
  • Newspaper or an old tray

Let's begin

Five simple steps

That's the whole activity. Tick each step off as you go, and stop whenever you like.

  1. Little one leads

    Your child dips the tips of a pine cone in paint.

  2. Or dab paint on with a brush or sponge.

  3. Try white tips for a snowy look.

  4. Leave them to dry on newspaper.

  5. Pile them in a bowl or tie string on top to hang them.

All done!

That's every step. However it went, you made a little moment together.

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