Bird Snack Tree

What you need

• Round oat cereal, about 1 cup
• String or yarn, 4 pieces, 2 feet each
• Orange, 1
• Apple, 1
• Oats, about 1/2 cup
• Knife (grown-up only), 1
• Spoon, 1
• Plate or tray, 1
• Painter's tape, a small piece per string (optional)
• Notebook, 1
• Crayons or markers, 1

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Gather the fruit, cereal, oats and yarn, cut a few lengths of yarn, and keep the knife with you for the cutting steps.

1. Look out the window and pick a small tree or bush for the birds.
   Ask: What birds have you seen near our home?
2. Thread cereal onto yarn, then tie the ends into a loop.
3. A grown-up cuts the orange in half and slices the apple into rings. A grown-up does this
4. Scoop the orange out of its peel with a spoon.
5. Pack oats into the empty orange peel bowls.
6. A grown-up pokes two holes in each peel and adds a string hanger. A grown-up does this
7. Thread the apple rings onto a piece of yarn.
8. Hang your treats on the branches, spread out from each other.
   Ask: Which treat do you think the birds will find first?
9. Sneak back inside and watch quietly from the window.
10. Tally bird visits every day this week. Which treat will win?
    Ask: Which treat would you add to the tree next time?

Play it again

• Snack swap: try a new treat like a pinecone rolled in oats and see if it beats the winner.
• Bird bingo: draw a grid of birds you hope to see and cross them off as they visit.
• Quiet spy: set a timer for 5 minutes and count every bird without making a sound.