diy {bird seed feeder}

My 6 year old would rather be immersed in nature, animals, etc. than anything else. He is a budding naturalist and I look forward to seeing how his interests unfold in the years to come. I have much to learn, but we are learning together. He wanted to make some bird feeders because he is concerned about the birds getting hungry this winter. I am not sure that we have enough birds that hang around during the winter to eat our bird seed feeders, but it was a way to encourage his interests and do it together.

Supplies:

• 2 envelopes Knox Gelatin
• 2 cups bird seed
• Cookie cutters
• Ribbon

(There are a ton of similar recipes online and in books, I combined a few to make mine)

1. Simmer 1 cup of water and dissolve the gelatin.

2. Let the gelatine cool for about 2 minutes, then stir in the seed. If the mixture is runny, add more seed.

3. Press into cookie cutters or make your own shapes. We then put ours in the refrigerator for about an hour to set it. Then let them dry for a couple of days. Add string or ribbon to hang them.

I just hung it here for the picture…we’ll figure out the best places to hang them in our yard.

I found The Practical Naturalist at the library. My boy is eating it up. Actually, all three boys have been reading it together in the afternoons. I am going to have order our own copy soon. It is such a great book. If you, or someone you know likes to ‘explore the wonders of the natural world’…I highly recommend it!