by Mary B

Created on: May 24, 2009

Kids love nature and all it's sights, sounds,smells and adventures. The season doesn't matter. Birds are busy all year long and kids will notice them regardless of the temperature. Spring can still be cool outside so insects may not be plentiful. Some fruits don't ripen or are not available until later in the year. The birds will still be around in winter and if you play your cards right, they'll know right where to go for dinner!

Here are some fun and easy ideas for making bird feeders; for kids of all ages:

Pie tin bird feeder:

Punch 3-4 holes in the sides of a metal pie tin, lace about 18" of yarn or string through the holes, tie loose ends at the top. You can fill the pie tin with wild bird seed, cheerios, rolled oats, raisins, trail mix. Hang from a tree branch and watch the fun begin! Kids should always be supervised with this activity.

Plastic soda bottle bird feeder:

Cut the top of a two liter soda bottle off about half way down the bottle. Punch several holes close to the top rim. Find small twigs to poke through the holes for the birds to perch on. Lace yarn or string through some of the holes and tie the loose ends at the top. Fill soda bottle with wild bird seed, oats, raisins, trail mix, peanuts, etc. The squirrels might enjoy this too! Hang from a tree branch. Again, adult supervision needed here.

Pine Cone bird feeder:

Collect several pine cones. Remove any loose pieces and shake them well to get any visitors out. Tie a string around the top of the pine cone, long enough to tie on tree branch. Have kids spread peanut butter over the pine cones. Roll the coated pine cones in wild bird seed, rolled oats or cheerios. Hang from a tree branch.

Donut bird feeder:

You don't even have to hang this one. You can poke it directly onto a slim tree branch. One plain donut is all you need. You can also use stale sliced bread. All you do is poke a hole through the middle and hang it in a tree.

Cheerio bird feeder:

Use a piece of yarn about 24" long. Lace it through a drinking straw. Leave ends loose and have kids thread cheerios onto either side of the straw. Once the yarn is filled, tie both end together at the top. Hang this over the end of a tree branch. The straw acts as a perch for the birds. The kids will have fun making this feeder too!

Recipe for hummingbird feeder:

One part white cane sugar to four parts water. Food coloring may be added but not necessary. Distilled water can be used. To make an easy feeder, clean a glass baby food jar, removing the label. Tie a string around the neck of the jar and fill it with the syrup. Hang it from a tree branch. Hummingbirds will love it but other birds may enjoy the "drink" as well. The syrup solution should be replaced regularly because it will spoil in warm weather and may attract ants. This solution keeps for two weeks in the refrigerator.

An easy way to feed the birds is to sprinkle bread crumbs on the ground. It's much more fun to get the kids involved though and it is very rewarding to hide in the house and see all the many species of birds that appear for "lunch". Always be sure to check your bird feeders for freshness. It would be a good idea to remove any old or damaged parts of the feeder and to completely remove it when used up.

Another idea is to take the kids to your local library to find out which particular birds are native to your area. Research what types of food these birds eat and go from there. Don't be surprised if squirrels and other freeloaders help themselves too! But when it comes to nature, all living creatures will benefit from the loving project your kids took the time to make.

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