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Spring has really SPRUNG and here at MRASP we are noticing all the birds that share our home state of Massachusetts. We will be posting bird themed activities all week including crafts, coloring sheets, birdwatching tips, and more! To Kick off Bird Watch Week we have recycled journals, a simple bird feeder, DIY binoculars, and of course a delicious snack. Let's get started . . .
Create a Recycled Nature Journal!
Crafted By Charlotte
Grades: K-5
Group or Individual: individual
Materials:
-brown paper bag (grocery bag size)
-scissors
-glue
-stapler
-hole puncher
-yarn/string
-paint/markers/crayons/colored pencils
Instructions:
Step 1: Cut your brown paper bag so the bottom folded section and the body of the bad are two pieces.
Step 2: Make sure the paper is in front of you with the flaps facing one on top and one underneath, like the image above.
Glue the top flap all the way down to the bottom of the bag and leave the bottom section unglued.
Step 3: Staple 3 times along each side of the bag, to help enforce the glue and keep the top flap down.
Step 4: Using the rest of the paper bag, cut pieces that are the same size as half of the bottom, these will be your pages. Make as many or as few as you’d like! You can also always add more later.
Step 5: Using a hole puncher, make two holes along the sides of the pages.
Fold the outer cover (what you made in steps 1-3) in half and punch two holes at the same spot along the side of it as well.
Using string or yarn, bind your notebook together and tie securely at the front.
Step 6: Decorate and enjoy! Using any materials around your home, transform this journal into a place to draw, collect samples, and make observations about nature! I made my cover first then added a few specimens I collected on a trail this morning to the inside pocket of my journal.
Paper Roll Bird Feeders
By Jonathan
Spring is a great time for bird watching. Attract birds to your own backyard with this simple bird feeder project!
Grade Level: All ages
Individual or multiple people: Either!
Materials
Toilet Paper Roll
Twine (or other string)
Bird seed mix
Peanut butter (or peanut-free alternative)
Instructions:
Using a butter knife or popsicle stick, cover the outside of a toilet paper roll with peanut butter. If you’re in a peanut-free house, you can use soy butter or sunflower butter instead.
Cover your toilet paper roll with bird seed. I recommend spreading the bird seed on a baking sheet and rolling the toilet paper roll in it until the whole surface is covered. If you want to, you can repeat the process and add another layer of peanut butter and bird seed over the existing one.
Pick a good spot to hang your bird feeder - close enough to a window so you can observe the birds that use it, but not so close that you scare them away. Thread a piece of twine or other string through the toilet paper roll, tie a knot, and use that to hang your bird feeder. Enjoy!
DIY Binoculars
With Meg
Grade Level: All ages
Individual or multiple people: Either!
Materials:
2 cardboard tubes
Yarn or string
Colored tape (optional)
Scissors
Glue
Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
Hole punch
Location: Anywhere
Links and resources: https://buggyandbuddy.com/going-bear-hunt-map-activity/
Instructions:
Since it’s bird-watching week, you obviously need binoculars to get a good view of birds! Don’t have any? No problem! Make your own at home and head on outside to find some birds.
Start by decorating your cardboard tubes-color on them, add colorful tape-be creative!
To create a space between the two rolls, cut out a piece of cardboard from a tube you’re not using and fold the sides down. Tape or glue each side to your rolls to form the binoculars.
Grab your hole punch and punch a hole on one side of each of your binoculars. Then tie a long piece of string or yarn through both the holes-be sure to knot the string so it stays in place!
Now go outside and go bird watching! Have fun!
Bird Seed Snack
Cooked Up By Courtney
Bird watching can really work up an appetite! Try out this tasty treat that's easy to take on the go while out on a bird watch.
Ingredients:
1 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1 cup honey glazed pecans*
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup raisins
Directions:
Simply pour measured ingredients in a bowl or zip lock bag and mix! Then pour the trail mix in any bag you’d like. It might be fun to cut down and decorate a small paper bag to look like a sack of birdseed and then tie the top with ribbon twist tie. Just have fun and use your imagination!
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together honey and pecans, tossing to coat well. Spread pecans in one layer in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir and bake 5 minutes more. Transfer while still warm to a sheet of parchment paper or foil and, working quickly, separate pecans with a fork. Allow to cool completely for about 1 hour and remove nuts from the parchment and break up any large chunks.
Have a great Monday everyone! We will see you back here tomorrow with more tips and tricks for spring time bird watching!
