Materials
Forked branches
String or twine
Odds and ends such as cotton, sheep's wool, yarn scraps, animal fur, string, thread, ribbon
Instructions
1. Collect forked branches, one per child, of a size easily handled by the children. Show the children how to wrap string or twine around and around the fork of their branch, fairly tightly.
2. Then the children weave the odds and ends in and out loosely.
3. Hang the branch outside where birds can safely find the bits to use in building their nests and where children can watch the birds.More to doGames: Play the circle game "Bluebird."More science: Children make individual nesting balls to take home by stuffing old onion bags. * Look at a collection of nests to see how differently they are made and to see bits of litter that the birds have used in addition to natural materials. * Take a walk during the winter to see abandoned nests in the trees. * Feed the birds year round. Make bird feeders from milk cartons or by covering white pine cones with peanut butter and rolling in seeds.
