I don’t know about you, but in the last couple of days I have woken up to hear a wonderful sound. The sound of birds chirping outside my window. This is the sure sign that spring is right around the corner! Well, to be honest, I would love to think that this is a sign that spring is here (I’m not really a winter person).
This morning, however, as I lay in bed listening to the birds chirping I began wondering where they are getting their food. At least where I am, the ground is either covered in snow or still pretty frozen and there are no berries on the trees. So I began thinking that my niece and I should make some bird feeders for these birds while she is over.
You don’t need much to build these:
- String, ribbon or twine
- Empty toilet paper tube, pine cone, ice cream cone, etc. (to be used as base)
- Bird seed
- Peanut butter (could also use coconut oil)
Simply cover your base in peanut butter, cover in the birdseed and hang outside with the string. You could also have your child work on their fine-motor development by having them string cheerios on the string that you are using to hang your feeder. Find a great spot outside your window where you can watch the birds enjoy the sweet treat that you have left for them.
Here’s a great way to step it up for your older children! Provide them with a bunch of different recycled materials (well washed) and challenge them to design and build a functioning bird feeder that can be used over and over again. Allow them some time to draw out their design, plan out the materials that they will need, and then have them build it.
Materials you could use:
- String, ribbon or twine
- Popsicle or craft sticks
- Empty water bottle or milk jug
- Bird seed
- Glue
- Scissors
- Things to use for decoration