Caroline has always been a hands-on child who likes to offer her input regarding the way things should be done. LOL! I discerned early on that she needed a way to direct this energy around Christmas.

So when Caroline was three, we bought her a small, inexpensive Christmas tree that she could decorate and redecorate to her heart’s content.

This was a fantastic decision. Family members heard about it and gave her little ornaments to add to it. 

Most of the ornaments are soft and/or not easily breakable.

It worked SO WELL for many years, especially the first three or four years. Caroline would play with it and move things around whenever she wanted to do so. She didn’t feel any need to practice her creative and decorating skills on our Christmas tree that is full of breakable ornaments. It was something just for her to enjoy. 

Some of those ornaments she now puts on our family tree, but most of them are still on this little tree now on display in the upstairs hallway outside her bedroom and my office.

Fun fact: We purchased the tree at Kohl’s, but it either didn’t have a stand included or the one that came with it was really flimsy for a preschooler. (I honestly can’t remember, but I lean toward the flimsy reason.) David made a very solid stand out of leftover wood and painted it gold.

These are actually wood pieces from a gas grill that we had gotten rid of a number of years ago. I had suggested at that time that he keep the wood pieces because they would probably come in handy for something in the future. And they did!

If you have small children or grandchildren, I highly recommend giving them a little tree they can enjoy whenever they wish. This was one idea that served our family well!