Printable: Pop-up Birdie

We have a robin's nest in our yard and the babies have just fledged. This is what inspired this pop-up chick in a nest.


The Printable:

Print it up on heavy card stock. Color and cut out all the pieces. Don't forget to cut along the dotted line in the nest for the bird to pop up through! Assemble by slipping the bird through the slit from under and behind the nest. Glue the little tab on the back on either side of the pop-up bird's pull tab so that it holds the tab straight but also so that the bird can still move up and down. Do not glue the bird piece at all, just the short tab to the back of the nest. You might also want to reinforce the bird's pull tab with a popsicle stick. Now pull and push the bottom of the stick to make your chick move!

Rice Krispie Treat Nests

In spirit of Spring, we did a little twist on the traditional Rice Krispie Treat. Using the regular old recipe from Rice Krispies we made birds' nests. Instead of spreading the sticky mess into a pan, we let it cool for a couple minutes (to make it more moldable.). Then we greased up a 1/4 c. measuring cup and scooped balls onto greased cookie sheets. We shaped them a little with greased up hands so they resembled ice cream scoops and then flipped them so the flat sides were up. Then making a little indentation in the middle we stuck some Cadbury Mini Eggs into the centers. Cute, simple, delicious. I suspect you can do just about anything with this edible Floam...

Printable: Flying Geese.

This cold, wet weather we've been having here in New England puts me in mind of geese flying. Depressing as it is, that's not too far away!

Here's a printable for a pair of flying geese. Make a pair (Did you know Geese generally mate for life?) or an entire flock! Hang them on your light fixture or on your curtain rods. Or make a mobile.

The Printable:

What You need:
card stock
scissors
crayons
hole punch
string
tape for hanging (or just hang them on a curtain rod.)


What You Do:

Grown-Ups- Print up on card stock. Cut out the goose bits, punch the holes and cut the slits. Cut lengths of string and tie one to each goose.

Kids: Color the geese. Fold the wings in half on the dotted line and slip the wings through the slot your grown-up cut on the bodies. Tell your grown-up where to hang them up! Also, before hanging, if you pinch the top of the body with your finger and thumb you can make your goose flap his wings by moving your hand up and down!

Birds!

This weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count! It is a great activity for parents to do with kids of all ages and it's taking place this weekend! Just look for birds in your yard or neighborhood or right out your living room window and keep track of which ones you see (and submit the results if you want.) Birding is a great year-round activity for families. In honor of the bird count I made this coloring page of common birds you might find at your feeder if you live in New England.

the printable: