We all remember those fun, messy preschool projects from days of yore, no? Well, if your memory is getting a little fuzzy let me remind you of one of my favorites (not to forget, making a terrarium from old soda bottles and cheap plants, or cutting up a bah-zillion tiny tissue paper squares and using Elmer's Glue to create a picture on Mother's Day):
Bird Feeders using pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed. Easy peasy, and lots of fun for the kiddos.
Bird Feeders using pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed. Easy peasy, and lots of fun for the kiddos.
Project Ingredients:
peanut butter
peanut butter
pine cones
birdseed
string or ribbon
plastic bag or wax paper
spatula or plastic knife
birdseed
string or ribbon
plastic bag or wax paper
spatula or plastic knife
(Don't have birdseed on hand? You can also use oats and cornmeal.)
I found these tiny pine cones at a local dollar store. They already had little silver ties attached to the tops. If yours are "natural" pine cones, I recommend tying string before adding peanut butter. ;)
Chloƫ was very excited to do this project, but also tried very hard to not get peanut butter all over her hands. She kept asking for a napkin!
So serious! Love her bottom lip sticking out with concentration.
You'll notice the grocery bag she's working on...you'll want to lay down a bag or wax paper for this project. Cleaning up sticky, oily peanut butter off your nice table will not make for happy craft time.
You'll notice the grocery bag she's working on...you'll want to lay down a bag or wax paper for this project. Cleaning up sticky, oily peanut butter off your nice table will not make for happy craft time.
...declaring this project a success. Yay!
After a sufficient amount of peanut butter has been added to the surface of the pine cone, go ahead and roll that sticky baby in some birdseed and/or oats.
We were so excited to hang these, and it was getting dark, that I didn't take a shot of our cute little cones. The photo above, however, is about right. ;)
We hung ours just outside the kitchen window so we could watch the birds fly around all day.
Clean up for this project was super easy because we used a plastic grocery bag and a plastic knife. Just scoop up the bag, peanut butter, birdseed, plastic knife and all, and toss in the trash!
We hung ours just outside the kitchen window so we could watch the birds fly around all day.
Clean up for this project was super easy because we used a plastic grocery bag and a plastic knife. Just scoop up the bag, peanut butter, birdseed, plastic knife and all, and toss in the trash!
Merry Christmas, little birdies. We hope you enjoy your holiday treat!