Environmental Education - Reuniting Kids w/ Nature

Reuniting Children w/ Nature – Bird Nests

January 23, 2013
Who doesn’t love stumbling upon a fallen (though empty) bird’s nest? They spark endless questions about where it fell from, what kind of bird might have created it, and what materials were gathered to do so. There are wonderings about how many eggs were laid, how many hatched, and where those sweet babes may have flown off to once old enough to leave the nest.
This activity allows kiddos to explore the natural world and then give a go at creating their own sweet little nest.

MATERIALS:

Natural materials (sticks, blades of grass, leaves, etc.), string, cotton, lint, yarn, clay, a bowl

Time Frame:

15 – 60 minutes

PROCEDURE:

The adventure in building a birds nest is really in finding the materials and thinking about how you would like your nest to look.  Once you have your materials, you simply need to weave them together in any pattern you’d like to, as long as they hold together in a bowl-like shape.

If you would like to create a bowl shape out of clay first, you can then use the clay to help your materials stick together.  Simply weave your natural materials together on both the inside and outside of the clay bowl to ensure it is fully covered up.

REFLECTION:

How do you think birds choose where to build their nests?  Do you think humans choose the build their home where they do for the same reasons?  Why or why not?


CONNECTIONS:

This activity fits perfectly as an extension to a Nature Walk. Simply carry a bag with you on a walk and collect items as you see them.  Also, don’t forget to be on the lookout for birds nests while on your walk!  There are so many different ways to build them!

TIDBITS:

Did you know that there are approximately 10,000 bird species in the world?  The smallest among them being the Bee Hummingbird (only 5-6 cm long) and the largest being the ostrich which can reach a height of over 9 feet tall!

TIPS & IMAGININGS:

  • Recycle an old shoe  box and use it to keep your birds nest safe and sound
  • Imagine how it might feel to live up in a tree… the sun filtering through the leaves, the wind blowing past your cheeks, the squirrels scurrying along the branches…what else might you experience up there?
 
Whatever it is you’re doing today, I hope you’re enjoying yourself!
 
xoxo,
M
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3 Comments on “Reuniting Children w/ Nature – Bird Nests”

  2. Ohhh I like this, I have a birds near collection and one down low in a grapefruit tree, so I think I will do this activity some time soon with my 5 yr old oh-my-god-daughter 🙂

    1. Oh, how wonderful! I really think birds nests are just fascinating! Have fun building your nests with your oh-my-god-daughter!

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