Almost every child is captivated by the wonders of nature and all of its creatures. Whether it be butterflies in the summer or animals at the zoo, kids are generally drawn to wildlife. Think about how excited your child will be to watch birds flock to his very own homemade bird feeder. By employing some imagination and recycling a milk carton, you can help your child create a bird’s paradise and you can both take part in watching the birds make use of your creation.
This project will not only demonstrate to your child the importance of recycling and how to contribute to a better environment, but it’ll also improve his fine motor skills.
You will need:
- Half gallon milk carton, washed and dried
- Construction paper in a variety of colors
- Hot glue or rubber cement
- Colored markers or crayons
- String
- Scissors
- Lolly stick
- Craft knife
- Bird seed
Instructions
Cover each surface of the container with construction paper. Trace the outline of the rectangular sides onto the paper and cut along the lines.
Once you’ve cut out each appropriately-sized piece of paper, paste or glue the paper onto the milk carton and then let it dry.
Once the glue has dried, use markers or crayons to decorate the outside of the bird feeder. If you wish, you can also cut out pictures from magazines and glue those on.
After the outside of the bird feeder has been decorated, use the craft knife to cut a 2″ x 2″ square in the front of the bird feeder, about 3 inches above the bottom of the carton.
Carefully use some hot glue and affix the lolly stick to the bottom of the carton, directly below the square. This will be the perch for the birds to stand on when they come to the feeder.
Next, poke a hole in the top of the container, and then tie a loop of string through the hole to hang the bird house.
Once this has been done, you’re ready to fill the feeder with bird seed. Gently pour some bird seed into the bottom of the feeder through the hole you cut.
Decide on a good place to hang the bird feeder.
Now you can take delight in watching many different birds come to your custom bird house. Check out a bird book from the library and try to identify each breed you see.