Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Snacking and Crafting: How to Make a Birdfeeder- Class #4

We enjoyed deliciously ambient weather last Thursday and I couldn't be more pleased with how the class went. We began outside doing a little "yard work": planting bulbs and digging and raking with child sized tools.  After that we enjoyed some hoola-hoop games on the front lawn. Rolling large hoola-hoops down the hill and then dragging them back up was a good way to expend some energy before sitting down and making a craft project. 

Bird Buffet: a Bird Feeder Tutorial

What you need:

  • pipe cleaners
  • Cheerios breakfast cereal
  • Birdseed
  • popcorn
  • Tahini thickened with flour 
  • pinecones
  • blunt needles
  • string
  • cardboard or thick paper

1) Begin by having the children thread the cheerios through the pipe-cleaners. 

2) Twist ends of pipe cleaners together to make a ring. You can link together several rings if you'd like.

3) Use blunt needle and thread and carefully thread through some pinecones (ages 5+). Attach pinecone decoration to cheerio ring.

4) Paint on tahini mixture all over the entire piece. It make a glue for  the birdseed and the popcorn. Peanutbutter can be used here, but tahini (sesame paste) makes a good peanut substitute.

5)  Allow to dry on the cardboard for 2 hours and then hang the feeder from a nearby tree. Watch the birds enjoy the buffet!

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