Birdwatching is fun for kids of all ages, can be done in your own back yard, and doesn’t cost a cent.
Borrow a birdwatching guide from the public library and see how many different types of birds your kids can find.
How to attract birds to your back yard? Feed them, of course! The easiest bird feeder is to simply spread suet onto a tree just above where a small branch juts out. Birds will perch on the branch and enjoy the suet.
You can build a simple bird feeder out of recycled household materials, for a fun spring craft for you and your children to work on together.
Here are some ideas for homemade bird feeders:
Orange Bird Feeder
Cut the top off of an orange and scoop out the insides, leaving the white pith as a lining. Using a pencil, pen or screwdriver, poke three or four holes near the top open end, equidistant from one another, and thread through separate pieces of string. Gather the strings together in the center and tie them together. Fill the orange with bird seed. Tie another length of string around the knot of strings and loop it around a branch.
Coconut Shell Bird Feeder
Similar to the orange bird feeder, use a coconut shell half with the flesh scooped out, drill holes near the top and thread through string. Hang from a branch and fill the coconut shell with seeds and berries.
Homemade Hummingbird Feeder
Hummingbirds live on a diet of insects and spiders, but need sugary nectar for energy. Providing nectar will attract the most hummingbirds to your back yard. Children can make a hummingbird feeder from a glass soft drink bottle and a coat hanger, with a little bit of help from a parent.
With wire cutters, cut the hook-and-twisted-neck part off of a coat hanger. Bend the remaining part of the coat hanger around a 16- or 20-ounce soft drink bottle, at an angle. Bend a hook into the wire on the bottom end to hang the feeder from a tree branch. Bend the other end of the wire, near the mouth of the bottle, to form a perch for the hummingbird. Make a hole in the bottle cap by pressing a 1/8-inch drill bit into the center of the cap and twisting the bottle, applying pressure until a hole is made.
Now fill the bottle ½ full with nectar, place the cap on the bottle and hang face down at an angle so that the nectar settles near the opening, where a hummingbird can feed.
Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, so decorate your homemade hummingbird feeder with red crepe paper, or paint designs on the bottle with red paint. Don’t add red food coloring to your nectar, because it may be harmful to birds.
To make hummingbird nectar, mix one part sugar and four parts water and stir to dissolve. You can store unused syrup in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Pinecone Bird Feeder
A pinecone bird feeder is an all-natural addition to a backyard tree. Tie a string to the top of a pinecone. Spread peanut butter all over a pinecone and roll it onto a pile of birdseed. Hang from a tree branch.
Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder
Poke holes in the top of a toilet paper roll and thread string through. Brush honey or peanut butter onto the roll using a paintbrush or plastic knife. Roll in birdseed and hang on a tree branch.
