Easy Bird Feeders for Kids

Milk Cartons

• Milk cartons make good bird feeders after they are thoroughly cleaned. Punch a hole through either side of the carton about an inch from the bottom edge. Insert a twig or a dowel rod through the holes to act as a perch. Cut a two-inch hole in the side of the carton an inch above the perch. Let the kids decorate the carton as desired, using non-toxic paints or gluing on leaves and twigs. Punch a hole through the top of the carton and insert twine to make a hanger.Add birdseed before hanging it from a tree.

Cutouts

• Kids can turn wooden cutouts found at your local craft store into bird feeders. Choose different shapes and sizes of cutouts and poke a small hole in the top of each one. Feed a piece of twine through the hole and tie the ends together to make a hanger. Then cover the cutout in peanut butter. Finish the feeder by rolling it in birdseed. After the birds eat the seed and peanut butter, clean the cutouts with soap and water and cover them again. Alternatively, cut out pieces of stale bread with cookie cutters. Make a hole in the top of each piece to put the twine through and then cover the bread with the seed and peanut butter mixture for a fully edible feeder.

Pinecones

• Use pinecones found in your yard for easy-to-make bird feeders. Tie some string around the top third of the pinecone for a hanger. Then, similar to cutout bird feeders, coat the outside of the pinecone with peanut butter. Roll the pinecone in birdseed and then press dried fruit, such as raisins or cranberries, into the pinecone's crevices.

Lard Shapes

• Add 1 cup of chunky peanut butter and 1 cup of lard to a pan. Heat to melt and stir until the lard and peanut butter are combined. Stir in 2 cups of cornmeal, 2 cups of quick cooking oats, 1 cup of white flour and 1/3 cup of sugar. Pour the mixture into individual molds; you could also pour it into a square pan. Once cooled, remove the shapes from the molds or cut the mixture in the pan into square shapes. Allow the children to thread string through the tops of the shapes and hang them from a tree. Store any extra shapes in the freezer for future use.