Making this bird feeder will help your child appreciate the beauty of nature, while also helping local wildlife survive the winter.
Age: Preschool through elementary
Time: 30 minutes
Type of activity: Nature craft
- Pinecones (one for each feeder)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter (per pinecone)
- Popsicle sticks
- 2 cups bird seed (mixed variety)
- String or yarn cut into 4-foot strips
- Old newspapers
- Take a walk outside with your child to collect an assortment of pinecones. Talk about the different kinds of pinecones you find and the kinds of trees they come from.
- Place old newspapers on the work surface where you'll be making your bird feeders.
- Using a popsicle stick, spread peanut butter all over each pinecone. Make sure to cover the surface completely.
- Spread out birdseed on top of the newspapers. Roll each pinecone in the birdseed until it's completely coated and no peanut butter is visible.
- Tie a piece of string around the top of each pinecone.
- You or another adult can now hang the pinecones from tree branches in your yard, or wherever you can watch the birds.
- Each day, watch your birdfeeder at the same time. Keep a record of the kinds of birds that visit. Talk with your child about why birds have a hard time finding food for in winter.
