Topic

Bird feeder

What Stimulates: Awe and wonder, compassion, questioning

Preparation and materials:

- Empty recyclable plastic bottle (1.5 liters or larger)

- Scissors (for the adult)

- Bird food: small seeds or grains such as sunflower seeds, whole or ground corn.

- 1 meter of twine or rope

- A place to hang your bird feeder outside, preferably on a tree

- A stick/stick approximately 30cm long (big enough to fit the width of the bottle and have space on both sides)

- Plastic bowl/pot

Recommended ages:

3 to 5 years

5 to 8 years


Why is this activity important?

Creating a bird feeder with your child encourages them to care for the animals and allows the two of you to reflect on the need to protect and care for others, particularly nature. This develops their sense of compassion and respect for animals, providing birds with an essential element needed to survive – food. This activity encourages your child to think more broadly about what animals and humans need to survive and develop their sense of curiosity, giving them the opportunity to inquire about natural processes. Your child may be amazed to see the birds enjoying the food you left them. Watch and share the joy with your child.

How can you do that:

FOR AGES 3-5 AND 5-8 YEARS

Talk to your child about why and how we can protect and care for nature and animals, especially birds, and explain that together you will create a bird feeder.

Take the plastic bottle and, as an adult, cut a rectangle out of the side of the bottle, about 1/3 of the way up. It should be approximately 3 cm wide. Do the same for the other side. You should now be able to see through the two windows on the bottle.

In a plastic bowl, ask your child to measure out the different seeds for the birds to eat. They can count on 10 large spoons full. The adult can now make two small incisions about 2 cm below the windows. Together, take the stick and push it through a hole and out of the hole on the opposite side of the bottle. This is where the birds will sit down to eat!

Ask your child to fill the bottom of the bottle with bird food. Tie the string around the top of the bottle securely. Find a space outside in a tree to hang the bird feeder. After hanging the bird feeder, sit and watch the feeder, waiting for the birds, and reflect on the following questions:

  • What do animals need to survive? Do we need the same things?
  • Do all animals need the same things?
  • Why is it important to take care of animals?
  • How can we protect animals?

Tips on how to do this activity in a group

Depending on the size of the group, materials will need to be adapted. For example, prepare 1 set of materials to create 1 bird feeder for a group of 4 children. Or, if you have 8 children, prepare 2 sets of materials to create 2 bird feeders for 2 groups of 4 children. This can be adapted as you see fit, but make sure there is something for each child to take responsibility for.

You can further divide the small groups into teams of 2. Two people decorate the bottle and two people mix the bird seeds.

Activity: Bird Feeder The contact with nature in these activities gives children a very real experience of the effort it takes to care for another living being. It offers the possibility to have a conversation about how living things grow or change over time, and how no one makes it happen, but it happens independently of human action - this could open up a conversation about the existence of a higher power. This can be a very simple conversation where the idea is introduced and left for the kids to do as they please. The experience they have will contribute to deeper introspection when the time is right. Children are given a chance to think about their own growth and the things that happen within them - how the life they lead affects their growth (this may not be something talked about openly, but these activities can initiate the possibility of this thought process).

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