Activities which will encourage birds into your garden

Bird-watching is a wonderful hobby regardless of age. Children can quickly learn the common species of birds which can be seen in your gardens – robins, blackbirds, blue-tits, sparrows and many more, and who knows you may soon have passionate ornithologists on your hands.

Children love to feed the birds and by doing so it will help to encourage them back into the garden and what better way than with homemade ideas you can do make the kids? There are however some foods which you should avoid feeding to the birds, you can see a list of those here.

Monkey Nut Hanger

You will need:

• A bag of monkey nuts
• a ball of string
• a long blunt needle
• a few clothes pegs.

How to make a Monkey Nut Hanger:

1. Cut a length of string about 15 inches long and tie a large knot in one end
2. Thread the needle and begin to thread the string through the monkey nuts (there is a gap in the middle of the shell)
3. When it is full up tie another large knot and secure it to a branch or clothesline with a peg.

This is a special favourite of blue-tits!

Seed Balls

You will need:

• A selection of wild bird seeds
• old cooking fat (from frying sausages or bacon)
• stale breadcrumbs
• leftovers (like pasta or rice)
• a ball of string.

How to make seed balls:

1. Heat the oil slightly on a baking sheet in the oven.
2. Help your child to carefully add all the seeds etc and mix with their hands.
3. Shape the mixture into balls (a bit larger than a golf ball) with a length of string right through the middle.
4. Allow to go cold and set.
5. Make sure there is a knot at the bottom of the string before hanging out in the garden.

Pecking Balls

You will need:

• Either a pumpkin
• butternut squash or swede
• a hammer and large nail

How to make Pecking Balls:

1. Help your child to peel the pumpkin, butternut squash or swede with a knife or peeler.
2. Place it in a saucepan and then cover it with water.
3. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Turn the heat off and leave to cool.
5. Then hollow out part of the vegetable in the middle and help your child to secure it to a fence post or trunk of a tree with the large nail.

Bird Bath

You will need:

• An old kitchen tray
• dustbin lid or other flat object
• acrylic paints
• paintbrushes
• PVA glue mixed with water

How to make a Bird Bath:

1. First of all, give the tray or lid a thorough wash in hot soapy water and allow to dry.
2. Then encourage your child to paint the tray with designs of their choice.
3. Allow to dry and then varnish with watered down PVA glue (which is non-toxic).
4. Attach it with a nail or couple of screws to the top of a tree stump or low-lying branch in the garden.
5. Pour water until full and watch and wait!

These activities are so simple to do they will guarantee plenty of enjoyment as you watch the birds returning to your garden to enjoy your creations!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like these posts:

• 7 outdoors activities for kids
• how to keep the kids safe when they’re playing outside
• Let’s create fun outdoors

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Author Bio: Clare, is a Mummy to 2 whirlwinds – Emmy & Harry. She is a Former Nanny of 14 years prior to having her own children. In a bid to keep sane she started blogging over at www.emmysmummy.com where she shares life’s adventures and misadventures, reviews, competitions and also where she writes her very popular blog series “Top Tips from a former Nanny”. If life wasn’t crazy and busy enough she also blogs over at www.thismummysalwayswrite.com where she is trying to move away from sharing too much of the children’s lives and write for herself again.