birds Archives - JDaniel4s Mom

I Spy Bird Shapes

April 14, 2022 By Deirdre

I Spy Bird Shapes features birds whose bodies are shaped like a variety of shapes. Children will have fun learning about shapes and finding them on the pages. While both pages feature the same shapes, they do not display the same number of each shape.

The set also includes shape flashcards. There are B/W and color versions of the cards. While many of your children may know all the shapes displayed, others may not. Some may need to have flashcards beside them while they work. They can look at the bigger version on the card and then look for the smaller ones.

You can decide just what your children will need to have available to them as they work through the pages.

Getting the I Spy Mats

This set is a PDF. When you download it, you will need to open it with a PDF reader. Acrobat Reader is a popular reader that you can download to use. You probably have it on your computer already.

I-Spy-Bird-Shapes-Activity-Pages-1 Download

Creating Reusable Mats

If you plan on using the mats over and over again, you will want to laminate or place them in a plastic sleeve. Below you will find some wonderful lamination tools.

The links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Tips for I Spy Bird Shapes Activity Pages

First, you may want to go over the shapes displayed on the I Spy pages. You can do that by going through one of the sets of flashcards or going over the shapes displayed in the chart.
Then you will want to have your children figure out how many of each shape there is displayed on the page.
Your children can write the number of shapes found for each feeling with a number or a tally mark.
If you think your children will have trouble remembering that they have already counted a shape you can have them color the shape as they count or put an x on them.

More I Spy Pages

I Spy Candy Corn with Feeling Pages

I Spy Number Hunt

Build a Bird’s Nest STEM Challenge

April 13, 2022 By Deirdre

Build a Bird’s Nest Challenge invites children to explore shapes and build a bird’s nest. While popsicle sticks are featured in the pictures on this post, children can use a variety of building materials to construct their nests. Below you will find a list of recommended materials although you may come up with your own building material possibilities.

Possible Building Materials

Keva Blocks
LEGO
Popsicle Sticks
Strips of Cardboard
Twigs and Sticks from Outdoors
Straws

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting the Challenge

Do I want my children to build a permanent nest or a temporary one?
Will the challenge cards be placed in a Maker’s Space or be part of a group lesson?
What supplies will I need to give my students if I want them to create a permanent nest?

Getting Ready to Build a Bird’s Nest

Step One

First, you will need to download the Build Nest challenge cards.

STEM Challenge Build a Bird’s Nest Download

Step Two

Second, you will need to decide what part of the set you will need to print out. The set includes B/W and color challenge cards. You can decide which set you want to use. It also includes pictures of baby birds and adult birds. You could print out the birds for students to place in their nests.

If you are going to give your children each a shape card to build a permanent nest, you may not need to laminate the cards. However cards that will be placed in a Maker’s Space, you will want to laminate them.

Step Three

Finally, you will need to gather the supplies your children are going to need. If you are adding the cards to your Maker’s Space, you may not need to gather supplies. Building permanent nests will require you to put out the supplies your children can select to build and connect the pieces of their nest.

Assessing the Nest Builds

You will need to decide what your children will need to have done to have a complete nest. Building a nest that features its assigned shape in the center of the nest and holds a specific number of birds can be all your children need to do. Permanent nests may need to stay together when you pick them up or be at a specific height.

You will need to decide what you want your children to accomplish and how you will know that they have completed your goals. Then you will need to decide how you will let them know that they have met your nest building requirements.

Building Background

Before you start exploring the challenge cards, you may want to read a book that features nests. Below you will find a number of fun nest books.

The links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

More Building Activities

Building Challenge Cards with a Magic Theme

St. Patrick’s Day Tangram Puzzles

Building Letters with Crayons

STEM Bird Tangram Puzzles Set

February 24, 2022 By Deirdre

This bird tangram puzzles set would be fun to explore at the beginning of spring. Each of the birds on the mats is a water bird. Below you will find a number of activities you can use to introduce your children to water birds.

This is part of a series of tangram puzzles. Please stop by and check out the STEM Tangrams Puzzles Sets page to see the whole collection.

Getting the Bird Tangram Puzzles Set Ready

This set is a PDF. When you download it, you will need to open it with a PDF reader. Acrobat Reader is a popular reader that you can download to use. You probably have it on your computer already.

STEM Bird Tangram Puzzle Set Download

If you plan on using the mats and puzzle pieces over and over again you may want to laminate them. Below you will find some laminating supplies I recommend.

The links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Building Background Before Exploring the Bird Tangram Puzzle Set

Say Tongue Twister

Swan swam over the sea, Swim, swan, swim! Swan swam back again Well swum, swan!

Create a Craft

Make Duck Finger Puppets

Read a Book About Water Birds

The links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Homemade Bird Ornaments – Read.Explore.Learn.

December 7, 2012 By Deirdre

This post contains affiliate links.This week we looked at the book Merry Christmas, Merry Crow by Kathi Appelt. It is wonderful tale of a crow who is constantly gathering treasure or bits of junk. Where ever he flies, he find something a ring, string, garland glimmering and so much more. Just about anything can be a bird ornaments.

Homemade Bird Ornaments - Read.Explore.Learn.

By the end of the book he has decorated a tree in the park for the other birds and everyone who stops by the park to see.

How did we explore Merry Christmas, Merry Crow?

Ornaments for Birds

Orange Shell Bird Feeders

This tree in our front yard is the favorite resting place for many birds. JDaniel and I decided it was was the perfect place to hang our orange shell bird feeders.

I hallowed out three oranges by cutting off their tops and scraping out as much of the pulp as possible. JDaniel thought it could have been in little cleaner inside, but wasn’t interested in scraping.

He enjoyed filling the oranges up with birdseed after I have attached colored twine to the oranges. At first he keep the oranges in the black tray to keep to birdseed from going everywhere. After I short time, he decided to hold the oranges and do a forwards scoop into them.

The forward scoop idea actually did a great job of keeping the seeds from spilling out. It looked cool too.

Bird Seed Ornaments

Every year JDaniel and I try to make bird seed ornaments and every year some fall apart before getting outside to hang on a tree for the birds. This year’s ornaments is made of suet and birdseed.

We started by gathering everything we would need. There was suet, birdseed, cookie cutters and straws. We started by melting down the suet a little. Then we mixed the suet and the birdseed together.

After stirring the birdseed and suet together, we molded the mixture into holiday shapes by putting it into cookie cutters. JDaniel used a spatula to push in as much as we could into each cookie cutter.

Once each ornament had been formed, we put it on an oiled foil covered cookie sheet to dry out. A small piece of a straw was pushed into each ornaments to make a place to put a ribbon through later.