Adoption Under One Roof

 Kids love to feed birds, all different kinds of birds.  It doesn’t matter if it is tossing a few slices of bread into a pond to feed the ducks at the park, or tossing some popcorn to the seagulls at the beach, kids always get a kick out of connecting with the nature around them!  This little craft will not only keep your little ones entertained while you are making it, but after the fact as well, as they watch the birds enjoy the tasty treat that has been made for them!

If you don’t have any pinecones in your yard, you can scour your neighborhood, go on a walk in the woods, or if all else fails, pick some up at your local craft store, or even at Wal-Mart.  Pick out a nice large and open pinecone for your bird feeder.

 Once you have the perfect pinecone you are halfway there.  Tie a string to the top of the pinecone, so that you will be able to hang it from a tree when you are all finished.  It is important to tie the string on now, as the next steps are going to make the pinecone a tad on the sticky side.  Once your string is securely attached to the pinecone, you will need to mix ½ vegetable shortening, suet, or lard with 2 ½ cups of cornmeal or uncooked oats until well blended.  Once blended, spread the mixture onto your pinecone.  And there you have it, a natural bird feeder just waiting to be hung in the yard! 

If you wish to go a step further and add an extra special treat for the birds, chopped dried fruit, sunflower seeds, or crushed nuts can be added atop of the oat mixture to really give the birds something to chirp about! 

Now it’s time to hang your new feeder out in the yard, and wait for the birds to come and feast on the yummy treats that you have prepared for them!  Pay attention to the different types of birds that show up at the feeder so that you can look them up online later.  This is a great way for children to begin learning about their environment and the local wildlife living around them.