Children are naturally curious about the world around them.  Caring for animals and other living things teaches children empathy, citizenship and responsible behavior.  Connecting with nature provides an appreciation for nature and supports respect for living things.  

What You will Need 

Process 

Engaging with Your Child 

Have all materials ready and available.  Introduce the purpose of the activity “Today we’re going to make feeders for the birds”.  You can pose inquiry questions such as “what else do you think birds like to eat?”, “Where should we hang these so the birds can find them?”, and “I wonder what birds we will see?”.  You can also focus on other learning opportunities such as counting the Cheerios that have been strung, creating patterns with the Cheerios and blue berries, and fine motor development of stringing and twisting the pipe cleaner to attach both ends.