The two and three year old children and I made bird feeders during Vacation Bible School. We had so much fun with this!
Supplies:
toilet paper tube (or paper towel tube cut in half)
peanut butter
bird seed
strip of cloth, yarn, rope
craft stick (or something to spread the peanut butter with)
paper plates
Approximate cost: $2 You probably have everything that you need on hand except the bird seed. Buy the cheapest/smallest bag you can find. Or ask to borrow a few handfuls from your bird watching neighbor.
Directions:
Plop a spoonful of peanut butter onto the paper plate. Use a craft stick to slather the peanut butter on the tube. Thicker is better.
Pour birdseed onto a clean plate.
Roll the peanut butter covered tube in the bird seed pressing firmly.
Thread the strip of fabric throught the tube and tie a knot at the top. Hang in a tree and wait for the birds to come. Or perhaps a squirrel or two... They're pushy, those squirrels.
At this point there will probably be leftover peanut butter on the plate and the smell of it will be irresistable. Go ahead, eat the leftovers! Children who don't mind being messy will dive in with their hands, licking it off their fingers. Ick. Children who like to be tidy can use their craft stick to scrape up every last remnant of peanut butter. Guess you know what I was like growing up.
***Share photos of your feeders at the Kid's Craft Along Flickr group!***
