Here’s a craft that allows you to combine three wonderful things:
1) Young children
2) Fine motor skill development
3) Minimal mess
Don’t believe it is possible to do all three at once? Read on, and find out how you and your child can make a simple bird feeder!
All you need is string, narrow ribbon or pipe cleaners and cereal with a hole in the middle (like Cheerios). You can use any length of string or ribbon, but 8-12 inches is usually a good place to start.
If you are using pipe cleaners, bend a hook on the end so the cereal doesn’t fall off. If you are using string or ribbon, tie one of the cereal pieces to the string before letting your little one thread the cereal. When the string or pipe cleaner is full, tie the two ends together to form a circle, and the bird feeder is complete. Place the feeders around your yard and wait for the critters to arrive.
Want to try a more challenging and messy version for big kids? Click here.
After you finish your craft, you can take some time to read books about birds. Talk about what birds eat, how they fly and their different colors and names.
photo credit: chickadee ready for a snack via photopin (license).
