Kids Nature Activity: Winter, Birds, and Witches

Materials:

• Pine cones
• Nut Butter
• Spreading things
• Scooping things
• Bird seed
• String
• Scissors

     Can you guess what we are doing?

This activity teaches:

• Problem solving
• Scientific Method 
• Stewardship
• Empathy
• Problem Solving

     Buuuurrrrrr!  Is it cold outside where you live?  What kind of changes happen in the winter season in your region?  

     One of the most common natural occurrences during the winter season in North America is the bird migration.  While I created this activity to promote an understanding of why the birds leave in the Winter, it can also be used to teach about how to encourage birds to come closer to our homes.

     I wrote a story special for this activity to help you get started and lay the ground work.  I used magnets from around the house but feel free to get creative!  You can do finger play, use your body to act it out, or just read it!  Have fun with it, the more fun you have the more fun they will have.  The bold words are the story and the red are suggestions.

There once was a witch 

Who lived in a tree

Up in a tree?

How silly is she!

When she was lonely 

She would call for the birds (lalala)

And they would come

As long as they heard 

They would come in the Summer

They would come in the Spring

They would come in Autumn 

If they heard her sing

But when the leaves changed

And the snow began to fall

No birds came

When she let out her call

(Where did the birds go?  Why did they leave?  What was different?)

Then she saw some explorers

Sitting near her tree

And decided...

They would keep her company!

(I did this for a group of children so feel free to change the words as you need)

With a mumble or two 

Of magical words

The explorers grew wings!

And turned into birds!

(Its time to get cheesy!  Make a big show about turning into birds.  Talk about what on your body is changing into a bird, ask your child as well)

     Now that you have the foundation of the activity laid out, lets get a bit more into it with a song!

Little bird little bird

Fly around 

(Flap those wings)

Up to the sky

(Reach way up)

Down to the ground

(I think you know)

Little bird little bird

Flap your wings

Open your beak

(Make your hand beak and open it up!)

And sweetly sing

(Tweet Tweet Tweet)

(You can choose to sing threw it again now or move on)

Little bird little bird 

Fly around

Back to your nest

Time for a rest

(Sit)

     Now that you are all into the activity, lets get started with the hands on part!  So we have this problem to solve now.  The witch will not turn us back into humans until we show her how to bring birds back to her home.  If you have not already, have a conversation with your child about why they think the birds left.  If you live in an area where the birds migrate get them to understand what that is first.  Now even if you do live in that area there are sure to be some birds who stick around.  Talk with your child about how to get those birds to come to the tree.  

Example Questions:

• Where do you think the birds went?
• Why did they leave?
• How can we get them to come back?
• How do we get birds by our home?
• What do birds need to live?
• What do we need to live that birds also need?

     If your child is to young to answer the questions or needs a little more information to come up with the pine cone idea (this is pretty likely if this is the first time) then pull out the Magic Bag.

Magic Bag:  A bag full of all the materials you need and a few that you don't.

My magic bag for this activity contained all the materials other than the pine cones (I had scattered those around for them to find), multiple things that can be used for scooping and spreading, and some random things from around the house that I didn't think we would be using.  Kids will surprise you though!  

     Once you have all the materials spread out ask your child what ya'll can use here to bring the birds back.  Likely they will mention the bird seed right away.  Now how are going to get the bird to the tree?  Let your child explore different paths, don't tell them they are wrong when they come up with an idea that wont work, explore that idea with them so they can learn themselves why it wont work.  Pretend to follow wrong paths yourself to help your child understand that sometimes it takes a lot of wrong paths before you find the right one.  It's important that your child knows that wrong is not bad.  

     When you decide its time, and if your child hasn't come up with the idea themselves lead to the nut butter being sticky and that the seeds stick to it.  But what will you put it on?  You cant put it on anything from your magic bag because that would leave litter behind, what ever you put it on has to come from the environment.  This teaches your child to care about the environment and how what we do effects it.  Feel free to elaborate more on this point but lead to walking around and looking for things.  While its easier to do this activity with pine cones maybe your child wants to use a stick or something else, again let them explore there options.  Maybe you will discover something new as well!

     Now you have your pine cone (or what ever) but how are you going to get the nut butter on it?  Let your child try different spreading tools to find what works best for them.  Lead by example by trying different ones as well.  Talk with your child threw this.

Example Questions:

• How does the nut butter feel?
• What one of these is easier to spread with?
• Does that one work better?  Can I try?
• Why doesn't this one spread as well?

     Time for the seed!  I had planned on letting the kids scoop it onto their pine cones but they decided to roll it in the seed instead (which turns out is a lot easier!) explore with your child again until you have the seed all over the nut butter.  Now what do we do?  Using the tools from above, gently lead your child to hanging the pine cones up in a tree.  Now the things you want your child to understand as you are looking for a place to hang the cones are:

• We want to be able to observe the birds
• Birds need somewhere to land to eat
• We want it to be a safe distance from the ground and cats!
• If we leave it on the ground a squirrel will probably take it

     Giving your child examples of places not to hang it and why, can be a good way to lead them to these points.

     Its hung!  The witch understands now how to attract other birds to her tree and she turns you human again!  

     If you try this activity I would LOVE to see pictures and hear about what worked well for you and what didn't.  In my next blog post I will be sharing the videos I did of this activity for my Tinkergarten audition video.

Until next time!