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Creating Winter Bird Feeders with Recycled Items
During our long and cold winter months, our neighbourhood birds have a harder time foraging for food because resources become scarce. This activity will encourage your child to use recycled items and be active in caring for animals and living creatures.
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- Empty tin can
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- Paint
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- Paint brushes
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- Decorative art materials (Stickers, fabric scraps, glitter, markers, etc.)
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- Glue
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- Scissors
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- Sturdy string (Ribbon, shoelace, jute string, etc.)
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- Wild bird feed or homemade bird feed (Crushed peanuts, sunflower seeds, cracked corn, white millet, dried fruit & raisins, oats, etc.)
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1. Wash tin can and allow it to dry.
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2. Decorate the empty tin can by using the crafting medium of choice. Allow decorated paint and glue to dry.
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3. Cut 20-25 inches of string and use a slip-knot to tie around the can. Brush a little glue onto the slip-knot loop that surrounds the can to strengthen the string to stay in place.
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5. Find a tree where you can tie the tin can from a branch or tie to a deck post.
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You can introduce this activity by saying “Today we are creating bird feeders”. Follow this with a discussion by asking your child “What different types of animals have you seen outside/on our walks/in our yard?” and “How do you think birds look for food to feed themselves and their babies?”. You can prompt your child to begin decorating the tin. Explore mixing primary colours, practice using kid-safe scissors and cut out shapes from scrap paper or fabric, the experimentation with these materials is endless! This is a great way to help your child build their fine motor skills. Take the time to explore the various textures, shapes, and colours of the art materials. Point, label, and describe the items you are using. This helps your child increase their vocabulary by associating items with their labels. During the process, ask open-ended questions such as, “I see that you used the colours orange and yellow, why did you choose those colours?”. Remember, if painting or gluing items, it will need to completely dry before adding the bird feed to the can. Once your bird feed is ready, allow your child to choose a spot to hang the bird feed. Use this opportunity to speak to your child about the basic etiquette for encountering wildlife; to always observe animals from a distance and stay still and quiet as to not disturb them. Enjoy observing your new visitors!
EarlyON