As the weather heats up, sometimes kids need to complement their outdoor time with activities that can be done indoors. That’s why we’re talking about one of our favorite summertime indoor activities today: how to make a homemade bird feeder.
First, you’ll need your supplies, including powdered sugar, water and a spoon to make icing, along with some birdseed, pinecones, and some string (if you have kids like ours, there will already be a bucket (or two or three!) full of pinecones in the yard).
Next, spread newspaper on a table (or the floor) and lay out all your supplies. To make the icing, start with about a cup of powdered sugar in a box and mix in water until you have a suitable glaze that can be spread on a pinecone (you can substitute honey for the sugar if you like, but it will be a little more messy!).
Next, have each child pick out a pinecone to roll in the icing. You can do this a few ways – either roll the pinecones in the icing by laying it on a plate or pan, or you can also use a spoon to spread the glaze over each cone. You’ll want to cover each pinecone well, because then you want each cone to be rolled in some birdseed on a plate. If you have artistic ones in the group, they can make patterns or designs with the different kinds of seed.  Try making one that looks like an owl, or one that looks like a flower!
After the kids are done adding birdseed, attach a piece of string to the top and let them hang to dry.
Ta da!  Now you have a homemade bird feeder to hang outside anywhere. On the next rainy day, you can sit inside with your children and watch the birds come to feed.  You can use the opportunity to tell your children about the types of birds you see, the different calls you hear, and how birds survive in all seasons. But most of all, it means your kids can enjoy summertime indoor activities as much as outdoor ones.