Preschool Bird Activities and Crafts: Make an Edible Bird Nest!
Bird Activities for Preschool Children
Here are some more lesson ideas and fun bird activities that will really “soar” with your preschool students. Included is information on teaching about nests, bird craft ideas, and all the bird facts that you can provide your children in order to create a successful bird unit. Have fun!
Nests
Begin by asking students where birds live and raise their young. The two most popular answers will probably be bird houses and nests. Focusing on the nests, talk with students about the following:
- Where do birds build their nests? (trees)
- Why do birds build their nests in trees and other high places? (for protection from predators)
- What types of birds might build their nests on the ground? (ducks and geese)
- What do birds use to build their nests? (sticks, grasses, other live material, string)
Nests for Nibbling
This yummy treat will have your students making (and eating) their very own bird’s nest. Have students help with the measuring. Before beginning, talk with the class about making exact measurements instead of estimating. Give examples of when you can estimate and why it is important when cooking to make exact measurements.
Materials: (these amounts will make 6 birds nests)
- mixing bowl
- 2 large shredded wheat biscuits per student
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1/4 cup coconut
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 cup melted margarine or butter
- muffin tin
- foil
- jelly beans or fruit balls (watermelon, grapes, blueberries, melon balls)
- yogurt
Procedure:
- Crumble the shredded wheat biscuits into a mixing bowl. Use a spoon to stir in the coconut.
- Pour the melted butter over the shredded wheat and coconut mixture, and mix together.
- Line muffin tin with foil. Press the shredded wheat mixture into the foil-lined cups.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until crisp.
- Cool in tin. Remove from muffin tin by lifting up on the foil.
- Fill the nests with the fruit balls or jelly beans. If using fruit, students may enjoy topping the nest with yogurt.
Whirly Birds Craft
Materials for making 1 bird:
- Scissors
- Four 1 1/2 inch strips of paper, various lengths (see step 1)
- Pencil
- Markers or paper
- White glue, tape, or glue stick
- Yarn or string
- 1 drinking straw
Procedure:
- Cut the strips of construction paper about 11 inches, 9 inches, 8 inches, and 4 inches long. To make the bird’s tail, fold the 4-inch strip in half lengthwise. Draw a triangle from the bottom corner to the opposite corner and cut it out. For a feathery tail, cut slits just to the fold.
- To make the bird head, make a face any way you like with markers in the middle of the 9-inch strip. Glue the ends of this strip together. For the body of the bird, glue the ends of the 11-inch strip together.
- For feathery wings, cut several slits close together on each end of the 8-inch strip. Glue the wings to the top of the body. Glue the head to the wings. Tie a piece of yarn to the birds head. Tie the other end of the yarn to the straw.
Categorizing Birds Activity
Most students will be able to tell you that birds fly. Be sure though, to point out that a lot of birds swim too. Brainstorm a list of birds that swim. You may even read the classic book, Make Way for Ducklings. To practice their sorting or categorizing skills, have this sorting activity out for the students to play with. In this download, you will find a sorting grid and pieces to cut out. Students can place the squares under the correct heading of “swim or fly”.
Easy Bird Feeder
This bird feeder is an easy activity for your preschool class. Talk with the students about where birds normally get their food, and during which time of the year it is most important to put out bird food.
Materials:
- cookie cutters
- stale bread
- table knife
- peanut butter
- sunflower seeds or wheat germ
- pie plate
- plastic straw
- tape
- yarn or string, cut about 12 inches long piece
Procedure:
- Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the stale bread.
- Using a table knife, spread peanut butter onto one side of the bread. Place the seeds or wheat germ into the pie plate. Lay the bread, peanut butter side down, into the nuts to coat.
- Using a straw, poke a hole in the top of the bread. Wrap a piece of tape around the end of a piece of yarn. Pull the yarn through the hole in the bread. Cut off the tape. Hang the bread in a tree or bush for the birds to eat.
For some more cute bird feeder ideas, click here.
Hopefully your preschool students will use these fun bird activities to learn all about various kinds of birds, their habitats and some of their habits too! For more ideas read my first article in this series on bird lesson plan ideas for your preschool classroom.
This post is part of the series: Preschool Bird Lessons
Activities and lesson ideas to accompany a preschool unit on birds.
