| There is nothing more enjoyable than eating | | | | the straw. This will provide a base, |
| breakfast and watching birds flutter and | | | | allowing your child to thread the yarn |
| dance outside the kitchen window on a snowy | | | | through the cereal, not only making an |
| morning. Unfortunately, while children often | | | | effective bird feeder, but helping develop |
| wonder at the birds and wish to take part in | | | | motor skills. When they have threaded the |
| helping to feed them, there is rarely | | | | cereal up to the top, carefully hold the top |
| anything a child can do to help. Here are a | | | | of the string and then untie the bottom from |
| couple of suggestions to help them get | | | | the straw. Knot the two of these ends |
| involved and to let them make their own | | | | together, forming a circlet of cereal, which |
| special bird feeders.Most children hate | | | | can be hung outside as a great bird snack. |
| eating crusts of bread, but birds love them. | | | | This can also be done using different colored |
| Next time, rather than tossing the crust, | | | | fruit cereals, helping your child with |
| hand them over to your child with a pencil or | | | | repetitive pattern exercises.Letting your |
| straw and have them poke a hole through the | | | | child become more involved in tasks like |
| slices, about 1 inch from the top. If they | | | | this, not only helps them learn but gives |
| wish, food coloring can be used to lightly | | | | them a sense of responsibility as well. Have |
| dab some color on their bread slices, letting | | | | them keep track of how long it takes for |
| them make special designs for their bird | | | | their homemade bird feeders, so they know |
| friends. The bread should then be left to | | | | when it will be time to make more. Have them |
| sit on the counter overnight so that it will | | | | make charts or draw pictures of what kinds of |
| dry out. The next day, thread a piece of | | | | birds come to their feeders and let them look |
| yarn through them, hang the bread from the | | | | through books, to identify who their new |
| branches of a nearby tree and watch feathered | | | | feathered friends are. Not only will the |
| friends flock to their new bird feeders.With | | | | birds thank you, but your kids will have a |
| a string of yarn, a straw, and some Cheerios, | | | | great time too.James Hunt has spent 15 years |
| even small children can help create these fun | | | | as a professional writer and researcher |
| bird feeders. Take the yarn (about 24 inches | | | | covering stories that cover a whole spectrum |
| works well) and tie it around the middle of | | | | of interest. |