Upcycled Bird Feeders

In a recent issue of Birds and Blooms they featured a bird feeder made with a piece of wood and plastic caps. We opted to adapt their version to make ours more unique and personable.

The children had the option to choose which caps to use and how they wanted to decorate their boards. Some chose to use paint, others permanent markers.

After the boards were decorated. We added caps with either screws or nails. The children had the option to decide which tools they thought would be best. We also added screws or nails as perch points near each cap for the birds.

Each feeder was completed with the child’s own preference and flair!

With the extra paint, I put one together too!

The feeders in the magazine were filled with peanut butter. We opted to make a sticky treat for the birds made from peanut butter, sunflower seeds (from our Mammoth Sunflowers this summer/fall), and air popped popcorn!
I wonder what birds we’ll attract this year with these???
Have you been bird feeding/watching this winter?

Comments

A Few Ideas With Marker Caps (As Promised)

Yesterday, I hope I convinced you not to throw away your markers that "don't work." Today, I will share with you a few ideas for what to do with all of the caps. The possibilities are nearly endless, but here are a few of our recent creations: 1) A Leprechaun/Fairy Ladder/Rope Ladder: 2) #1 if not permanently secured can also double as a rope bridge: 3) #1/#2 can also be made into a train track for your homemade trains :). (No photo available) 4) You can use them as beads for a necklace: 5) You could make them into a wind chime. (No photo available). 6. You can use them as small manipulatives to count, sort, and make patterns with. (No photo available). 7) You could use them as playing pieces in your own homemade board game. (No photo available). 8) You could put them on a wire and glue them in place to make a twirling whirly-gig. 9) You could top them with a lid from a milk jug to make tiny tables or toadstools. 10) You could make them...

Easter Egg Caterpillars!

OOOPS! This post has moved, please click on the photo to be redirected!

Santa's Dead

"LOOK! It's Santa!" I exclaimed in my best impression of elf as I noticed a child putting on a Santa suit. "I'm not SANTA! I'm -------" "Oh, I thought you were Santa." "No, Santa's dead. I guess I have to deliver the presents now" (with a deep sigh) "Santa's dead?? What happened?" "Yeah, Santa's dead. It's a long story" and.. just like that he skipped off to play. Clearly the story was too long to tell, and he had other things that were more important to do than to share it with me. Many programs are looking at the calendar and providing materials and lesson plans revolving around spring and Easter. We tend not to look too closely at the calendar and instead follow the lead of the children. We have many holiday related materials available to the children, but they are available year round. On any given day of the year you will most likely find a child dressed up as Santa (in fact...

Ms. Amy's Blog @Child Central Station

Search This Blog