This is an activity where you can customize how complex you want it to be by the materials that you choose to work with.

Materials

• Cardboard Roll (taken from paper or toilet tissue.  We used a mailing tube that we cut to size)
• Construction paper, cardstock, craft foam, or felt (various colours for the bird’s body, head, beak, wings etc.)
• Glue (or fabric glue if you are using felt)
• Stapler
• Black marker (for drawing details)
• Wiggly eyes
• Metal washers (can be purchased at a hardware store)
• glue gun (used by an adult or with direct supervision depending on age/ skill level)
• String, twine or fishing line
• Ribbon
• Crayons, felt markers etc.
• Template carrier_pigeon_template

Directions

• Take your cardboard roll and cover it with the colour of construction paper that you would like your bird to be.  Glue or staple it on.  On our “fancy” version (as our kids would call it), we used felt and glued it using fabric glue.  We added ribbon for detail and to cover the edges of the felt pieces.

• Cut two small slits (the width of your washer) into your cardboard tube so it will be easier to attach your washers later.  They should be near the top and lower portion of the bird’s body (see photo).  You can do this using scissors or have an adult use an exacto knife.

• Print out the provided templates on a sturdy paper such as card stock (the two sides of the head/neck, the two wings and the two tail sections).  For our fancy version of the carrier pigeon, we traced it onto cardboard, covered it with felt and sewed along the edges with a sewing machine.  To personalize your bird, have your child draw their own head, wing and tail. Just remember to create a mirror image (by flipping it over and tracing it the other way) of each of the pieces.

• Print out the provided feather templates or draw your own.  If you print them on white cardstock, add some colour with crayons, felt markers etc.  You could cut them out of felt or craft foam as well.  Glue them onto your wings and tail pieces.  We started at the bottom and layered them, going upward.

• Either draw eyes, cut out (using foam or felt) or attach wiggly ones to each side of your pigeon’s head.  Cut out a beak (with a mirror image for the other side) and attach.

• Glue one side of you bird together (head/neck, wing and tail to the body) and allow to dry overnight.

• Glue the other side of your bird together the following day and allow to dry overnight.

• Have an adult glue in your washers (metallic circles purchased at a hardware store), using a glue gun.  Once dry, loop fishing line through the washers and anchor the fishing line between two points.

• You can now write messages and roll them up, putting them in your bird, “flying” them through the air! 

Purpose

• Creating an opportunity for writing.
• Using fine motor skills with a variety of tools/materials
• Creating a likeness of something.

Safety Notes

• A glue gun, exacto knife and sewing machine should be used by an adult.
• Please use scissors with supervision.
• As with all string etc., fishing line poses a strangulation hazard and should be used with direct supervision.

Materials

• clean egg carton
• glue
• scissors
• Activity Label template
• Items to look for template  Scavenger_Hunt_nest
  
• plastic lid
• Craft items (e.g., felt, feathers, markers, paint or foam etc.) to make your bird
• Background (we used a canvas, but cardstock or another thick paper would work)

Directions

• Using a clean egg carton, glue the Activity Label template onto the top of the closed carton and allow it to dry.  We used a cardboard egg carton for the label to adhere more easily.

•  Glue the suggested guide (Items to Look For template) on the inside of the lid to give you inspiration for items to find for building your nest.  In the blank squares of the grid, add your own ideas.

• Go outside together and see what you can find, thinking like a bird.  You may wish to combine found items with those purchased at a craft store (raffia,yarn, craft sand etc.) to enhance your nest depending on your collection.

•  Using the materials you have collected, create your own nest. We did this by gluing the items in a circular formation on a plastic lid (so it wouldn’t adhere to another surface) and then once it was dry placing several books on top to flatten it a bit.

• We painted a canvas background (using a bit of blue and white paint and a facial tissue) and allowed it to dry.

• We then added a found branch for the nest to perch on and created a painted bird, gluing this all down with our nest.  (We had to use a glue gun, but you may find this is not the case.)

• If your child needs a prompt to get started in making the bird, ask: “What kind of bird do you imagine would live in the nest you made?”. Or if you pretended to be a bird while you collected the materials, “What kind of bird were you?”.  We were a “firebird”!

Purpose

• Exploration of the outdoors/engagement with environment
• To develop an understanding of materials that birds might possibly use to make their nest.
• Children/ Students might also engage in the use of resources such as books to investigate further what birds use to create their homes- does it differ according to region?  Urban or rural settings?
• Fine motor development (cutting, gluing, assembling)

Safety Notes

• Be sure to go outside with adult supervision
• Glue guns should be used by an adult only.

Materials

Method A:

• An old iron (used by an adult)
• An old grater (used by an adult or with direct supervision depending on the age(s) of the child(ren)
• Wax crayons (you may find that certain well known brands work better than others)
• Wax paper
• Permanent marker
• Scissors
• Embellishment items such as craft jewels
• Smock, apron or old clothes
• 2 old tea towels
• craft foam
• Print out of the peacock body or materials to make your own peacock_body

Method B:

• Contact paper (this is clear adhesive paper often used to line cupboards or cover books)
• Tissue paper
• Glitter, transparent confetti
• Scissors
• Permanent marker
• Print out of the peacock body or materials to make your own

Follow-Up Writing Activity Template  Peacock-follow-up

Directions

There are 2 suggested methods to make your sun catcher- pick the one that works best for best for you.  OR try both!

Method A:

• This is an activity that needs to be done with an adult as it requires the use of an old iron and an old grater which may be sharp.

• Take two large pieces of wax paper.  Lay them flat on a large workspace such as table.

• Grate various colours of wax crayon and arrange them on the wax paper, leaving a perimeter of  about 5 cm (approximately 2 inches) around the edge, without shavings.  Put the same size of wax paper on top (creating a sandwich with the shavings in the middle).  Be careful not to get the shavings on carpeted surfaces as they may be difficult to get out.

• Have an adult set the iron on low.  It is recommended that you use an old tea towel to cover your ironing board if any of the crayon leaks out of the edges of your wax paper “sandwich”.  Iron your sandwich, covered with another tea towel carefully, melting the crayons.  Try not to go too close to the edge to prevent spillage.

• Unplug your iron, put it in a safe place to cool and let your wax paper cool.

• Draw, using a permanent marker the shape of your tail and cut it out, using a sharp pair of scissors (this may require adult assistance).  You can embellish your tail with glitter glue, permanent marker or jewels etc.

• Make or print out the provided body for the peacock.  Layer foam or create a donut out of paper to attach between the tail and the body (so that the body is forward of the tail)  Display in a window or against a light coloured background.

• Print the follow-up written response:  Male peacocks have a magnificent tail to attract other peacocks. What makes you special or unique?

Method B:

• This is an alternative if you would prefer not to use an iron.

• Purchase clear contact paper (or cupboard liner).  Lay it sticky side up and cover with various pieces of tissue paper and if you would like transparent, plastic confetti or glitter.

• Cut another piece of contact paper the same  size and create a sandwich with the tissue paper (this may require adult assistance, particularly depending on the desired size, as it can be tricky).  Be sure to smooth out any air bubbles to the edges.

• Draw the outline of your peacock tail with permanent marker and cut out.  You can embellish your tail with glitter glue, permanent marker or jewels etc.

• Make or print out the provided body for the peacock.  Layer foam or create a donut out of paper to attach between the tail and the body.  Display in a window or against a light coloured background.

• Print the follow-up written response:  Male peacocks have a magnificent tail to attract other peacocks. What makes you special or unique?

Purpose

• Working with different mediums to create various effects.
• Developing motor skills (cutting, pasting etc).
• Linking written expression to one’s creations.

Safety Notes

• An iron should be used by an adult
• A grater should be used by an adult or with direct supervision depending on the age and ability of the children you are working with 

Materials

• Craft feathers
• Large felt piece or table cloth (optional)
• Recording sheet  words_with_feather
• Pencils
• 3 Nest storage baskets (One for the feathers, one for the recording sheets and one for the pencils.  Here are the directions below)

http://make-it-your-own.com/bird-nest-storage-basket/

• Directions sheet Words_With_Feathers
• Plastic page cover & tape

Directions

• Get a large work surface such as a table.

• Cover it with a section of felt or a fabric table cloth (this helps hold the feathers in place).

• Put out 3 baskets (one with your feathers in them, one with sharpened pencils (with erasers) and one with copies of the recording sheets.

• Print out the directions for the activity, put them in a page cover and tape them to the table or wall above.

• Show your child or students a few examples, using the feathers and then see what they can do, recording the words that they think of. Some students may need some guiding questions such as, “What are words that describe bird parts?  What are different types of birds?  What kinds of things to birds do?” (These are on the Directions Sheet).

Purpose

• Vocabulary building on a specific topic
• Tactile connection to writing

Safety Notes

• Some people may prefer to use craft feathers over found ones for cleanliness reasons.

Materials

• Craft feathers
• Blank cards & envelopes (or make your own from cardstock)
• Tempra paint
• Paint containers or tray
• Craft tray or table cloth
• Painter’s tape
• Scissors
• Smock
• Tweezers
• Pencil

Directions

• Cover your work area with a table cloth or use a craft tray.  Don your smock.

• Cut pieces of your painter’s tape (it works well as it is easier to peel off) and put them where you would like to write your messages on your card (You might leave a space for Thank You or Thinking of You etc. on the front and then an area to write the child’s name and date on the back) and your envelope (a space for the receipt’s name).

• Dip your feathers into the paint (we used a separate feather for each colour) and then paint your card and envelope, going over the tape.  We used lined brush strokes, but you could try dots or zig zagging the feathers, or lay them down for prints- this is the time to experiment!

• Here comes the tricky part:  While the paint is still wet (so that the painter’s tape doesn’t adhere too well), have an adult carefully peel off the painter’s tape (we found tweezers were quite helpful in catching the corner of the tape for this part of the activity.)

• Allow to dry overnight.

• In the blank spaces write your messages and create a note inside.  Give to someone special.  You might want to mention on the back space of the card that you made your creation using feathers!

Purpose

• Fine motor skills, encouraging writing by creating interesting materials and experimenting with different painting materials and techniques.

Safety Notes

• Be sure to wear a smock and cover your area when painting to prevent damages to clothes and furniture!

Materials

• A down type feather
• An open space

Directions

• Take a down type feather and place it on your hand, blow it up into the air.  Try to keep it from landing on the ground.

• You may have it land on your hand and blow on it again or simply get under it and blow on it.

• Take turns blowing it with a partner.

• Be careful to watch out for other children if you are playing together, using your peripheral vision  When you are ready, add more feathers.

Purpose

• Hand/eye coordination

Safety Notes 

• Try to be aware of other children to avoid collisions,.

Materials

• Hoola hoops (although this is not necessary as you will see, but helps younger children learning the game)

Directions

• Choose a large space for this activity such as field/park or gymnasium.

• Have the children group into partners.  Put out hula hoops (nests) for each partnership minus one.  (E.g., If you have 20 children, put out 9 hula hoops.) Have the children stand with their partner in the hula hoop with one of each their arms linked.

• The remaining pair will take on the role of a bird and a predator to a bird (e.g., a fox).  The bird must “fly” (run) away from the fox.  However, the bird may join a partner in a nest (linking to one partner, makes the partner on the other side the new bird).  If the fox successfully tags the bird, then they switch roles.

• If you find that the current bird is not joining a nest, giving other players a chance, incorporate a count down after a specific amount of time.  To increase the complexity of the game, you could add two pairs of birds and foxes.

Purpose

• Gross motor skill development

Safety Notes

• Just remind players to be aware of others when playing a running game with multiple people.
  

This idea was featured on The Crafty Crow.  Looking for creative activities to do with your children or class?  Check them out!

http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2014/06/crayon-resist-feather-bookmarks.html

http://www.thecraftycrow.net/

It was also featured on Crafty Connections on their summer post for activities for kids 2-6:

http://www.craftingconnections.net/the-blog/9-summer-crafts-kids-ages-2-6/#.U9B-YI2wJD0

Take a peek at it on We Heart It:

http://weheartit.com/entry/group/51945844

Materials

• Feathers (found or you may want to use those purchased for cleanliness reasons)
• Pencil
• White art eraser
• Watercolour Paper or cardstock
• Watercolours (can be a variety of forms, we have recently tried liquid watercolours and are hooked!)
• Paintbrushes
• Pastels (we used metallic ones, but you could also use wax crayons)
• Single hole punch
• Ribbon, twine
• Scissors
• Smock
• Contact Paper or Laminator and laminating pockets (Optional)

• We always find a smock and a craft tray handy too!

Directions

• Don a smock.

• Take a feather (you may want to use ones purchased in a craft store for cleanliness reasons) and place it on top of watercolour paper.

• Trace it gently with a pencil.  Make a shaft (the line down the middle of the feather) and barbs (the lines going to the edge of the feather from the shaft).  Trace over your pencil lines with pastel.

• Use watercolour paints to bring your feather to life.  We diluted liquid watercolour.  Allow to dry overnight.

• Cut out your feather carefully, leaving a bit of a border.

• Punch a hole at either end.

• For longevity and to protect your book from pastel smudges, laminate your feather or sandwich it between two pieces of clear contact paper (sticky sides facing in on each other).  Cut out the feather again, leaving a border and punch the hole through the plastic.

• Fold your ribbon or twine in half and put the folded end through the hole.  Loop the ends through your fold (see photo) and pull taut.

• Trim the ends of the ribbon if necessary.

Purpose

• Taking the basic shape of an object and enhancing it.
• Encouraging reading.
• Using a variety of materials to experiment with painting techniques (pastel resist)

Safety Notes

• As mentioned, you may want to use feathers purchased at a craft store for cleanliness reasons.
• Laminators should be used by an adult only.
• Be sure to use scissors with supervision.

• Child binoculars
• Little plastic case (We have used both photo boxes and little suitcases from Michaels craft store)
• Tweezers/tongs
• Magnifying glass
• Notebook
• Pencil
• Printouts of the labels for the notebook & the case  Outdoor_Explore_Kit
• Clear tape

Directions

• Make a little kit to encourage the discovery and collection of nature items.  We included a set of labels for you.  (This would be great for a summer camp idea too!)  As you can tell from last year’s kit (the suitcase), it was a hit!

• Once you have collected your items, take them home for further study.  We often put each item into the cups of an old muffin tin and examine them Have your child record their discoveries which might include a diagram (which they could label), a description (encourage them to use their senses) and to quantify their description (e.g. measure the length of a feather’s quill/ shaft).  They could compare and classify their objects as well.

Purpose

• Using tools to assist in the handling and investigation of objects (e.g., magnification)
• Encouraging discovery
• Beginning to record one’s findings and see connections helps establish an interest in the scientific process
• Appreciation of nature
• Doing things such as labelling the parts of an object or making a cutaway help children to become familiar with some of the elements that are used in non-fiction writing and texts.

Safety Notes

• We included tongs/ tweezers in case you are hesitant about your child handling feathers for cleanliness reasons
• Caution should be used with a magnifying glass as it can be used to start a fire.
• You may (from experience), want to discuss that tongs/ tweezers are for use in picking up objects rather than on each other!
• As many binoculars have a string attached, review safety prior to use (e.g. taking them off at the playground in case they got caught on equipment).
• Prior to collecting you may want to decide and discuss some guidelines that work for your family or group- do you want them to pick things that are alive for example?
• Be sure to explore with adult supervision.

http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2014/05/nest-collage-with-paper-and-twigs.html

http://www.thecraftycrow.net/2014/05/unique-gift-ideas-kids-can-make-for-mothers-day.html

http://www.thecraftycrow.net/