Food & Bird's Nest Children's Activities

Onion Bag Holder

• Turn the mesh bags onions come in into holders for bird's nest items. Provide the kids with empty onion bags, cotton balls, ribbon, pine needles, string, yarn and other small items a bird might use to construct a nest. Show the children how to stuff their onion bags with the items. When filled, tie the bag tops off with yarn. Form a loop in the yarn to hang the bag from a tree branch. Birds will push their beaks through the bag's holes, remove the items and use them to build nests.

Paper Bag Bird's Nest

• A brown paper bag is the base of this bird's nest activity. Go on a nature walk with the kids and collect leaves, acorns and pine needles. For each child, open a brown paper lunch or grocery bag and stand it up -- if you want a larger nest, use a grocery bag; for a smaller nest, use a lunch bag. Roll the bag down from the top so it rolls in on itself, creating a circular shape with rounded edges -- this will serve as the basis for the nest. Have the kids glue the items they collected on their nature walk to their paper bags, as well as store-bought feathers and string pieces -- this will make their bags look more like authentic nests. The children can glue blue or white jelly beans in the centers of their bags to represent "eggs."

Milk Carton Bird Feeder

• Turn a milk carton into a bird feeder. Clean and dry a cardboard milk carton. When it is dry, use a craft knife to cut rectangular openings on each side of the carton. Supply paint, markers, stickers and glitter glue and show the children how to use them to decorate the carton. Close the carton's top and seal with glue or tape. Punch a hole in the top. String yarn or ribbon through the hole to create a loop. Hang the carton on a tree branch and pour birdseed into the bottom. Ask the children to observe what kinds of birds eat from their feeder.