Saturday, March 24, 2012

Making Birdfeeders Take Two--lessons learned

Lessons learned from our second year of making bird feeders.

1) Even though you've explained it to them 6 times AND they've done it before, model one...or they will just start pouring bird seeds down the middle of the ice cream cones and dumping them on the floor.


2) The three year old HATES to be messy so he will not like this project very much (after this picture was taken he was crying cause there was peanut butter on his hands). The obvious licking approach escaped him.


3) After one cone the four year old will declare the peanut butter spreading part too hard and declare that she only wants to do the seed rolling part.

4) They will beam with pride over their creations because you tell them they cannot  have a treat until you get a good picture.

5) When you have two extra cones and no ice cream, peanut butter and marshmallows make a good substitute. Until the three year old gets peanut butter on his fingers again. Then all hell breaks loose.


6) Because last year when we hung them on a string the birds had nowhere to perch, so we decided to set them on things. Like the fence posts.


7) It's spring so there is an abundance of worms and bugs for the birds to eat. So when you put them out on the fence posts, don't be surprised if the bird don't give a crap.


8) This project is better for winter (like we did last year!) when the birds are desperate for food. Otherwise your feeders will sit there for days and eventually turn to mush after a heavy rain.

9) I often question the point of these silly kid projects.

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