Daily STREAM Activity: Cereal Bird Feeder

Create a bird feeder to help the birds in your neighborhood!

Activity best for children age 2 and up

Now that it is winter many of the food sources that birds rely on, like seeds from fresh flowers and plants, are gone. Winter winds often blow away food and the days are shorter too, so there’s less time to spend for the birds to look for food. Some birds will migrate (move) to where the weather is warmer and the food is plenty, but other birds stay where they are. To help birds get food and survive the winter we are going to make bird feeders! Not only will this activity help your local wildlife, but it will also give you a chance to see and observe all kinds of different birds right from your window! Plus this is a great activity to practice fine motor skills. So grab a cereal box, some string and let’s help out the birds!

Materials you’ll need:

Round O cereal like Cheerios

Pipe cleaners or string

Ribbon  

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Guiding Questions:

What shape do I want my bird feeder to be?

Is it going to be big or small?

What kinds of birds will I see? Are they the same birds that my friend has in their neighborhood?

Do the birds eat fast or slow?

Do all birds have the same sound? Do you hear different sounds from different birds?

Directions

STEP 1
Decide what shape you want the pipe cleaners to be and bend them into shape before you put the cereal on.

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STEP 2
Start putting the O cereal on the pipe cleaners. TIP: Leave a little room at the end to twist the ends of the pipe cleaner together so that cereal won’t fall off.

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STEP 3
Use some string or ribbon to tie around the shapes so that you can hang the bird feeders on trees and bushes. Enjoy watching the birds as they come by for a tasty snack!

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Grown ups, are you looking for more ways to extend your child’s learning? Check out these extension activities to build upon today’s STREAM activity!

Reading Connection
Birds in Winter by Jenny Fretland VanVoorst
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Math Connections 
Count how many cereal Os are on one pipe cleaner. Can you add more to another pipe cleaner? How about less? How many birds did you see today? You  can make a chart of the different birds that you see. How many times did birds visit the bird feeder?

Science Connections
Birds have some cool adaptations. An adaptation is something on the body, something in the body or something the body can do to help the animal survive in its habitat. What kind of adaptations can you notice on birds? Do they have feathers or fur? Do they have wings or arms? How do they eat?

Real-World Connections
Birds also need shelter in the winter. Can you build a birdhouse from recycled materials in your house?