With spring on it’s way, you can help birds build their nests by putting out nesting material. This is a fun and easy way to attract birds to your backyard and get kids interested in backyard wildlife.
Nesting material is anything birds can use to build their nests. Depending on the type of nest, the construction and material will vary. Keep this in mind as you gather your materials – the more variety you have, the better chances you will have attracting birds. I know I have found bird nests with bits of plastic or other junk, so my hope is that we can provide them with something more natural. You can also purchase bird nesting materials if you just wish to use that or mix it with your own materials.
Holder
A holder is not absolutely necessary, but may help to keep materials from blowing away, etc.
You can either buy a holder, such as a suet cage, or you can upcycle something like a mesh bag (the kind that fruit like oranges might come in). I was able to find a suet cage from Walmart for about $2.
Nesting Material
- Yarn, string or thread
- Human hair or animal fur
- Feathers
- Cattail fluff
- Moss or lichen
- Straw or other plant stems
- Pine needles
- Shredded paper
- Cotton balls
Directions
Place your nesting materials in your dispenser, making sure that it is easy enough for the birds to remove pieces.
Alternately, you can simply drape materials, such as pieces of yarn, on bushes, shrubs, and so on.
Tips
Use materials that are not treated – for example, do not use pieces of fabric that have been treated with fabric softener or natural materials (grass, etc) that have been treated with pesticides. If you use animal fur, be sure that it does not contain something like flea or tick treatment.
Cut materials, especially string, twine, yarn, etc. into small lengths. This makes it more manageable for the birds and helps prevent them from becoming tangled in the materials.
Try to keep your materials in a dry place if possible, if you have an area that is sheltered from rain.
Encourage kids to look for nests, and you can take this activity further by identifying and keeping track of types of birds and their nests.
Oh what a lovely idea and such a fun thing for little ones to get involved in. My kids are obsessed with birds and love to do anything related such as bird feeders.
Oh how fun of a project this will be! The kids and I love seeing all the birds come around in the Spring, so what a way to welcome them back!
What a great way to recycle fabrics and clothing. I love this idea! It would be fun to show my twins teacher. It could make for a fun class project as our school backs onto a ravine 🙂
This is such a lovely craft idea and something wonderful for the birds as well. You have me wondering about making one myself to pop in the tree outside my front window.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I love this post. I’m a bird lover and avid birder. Having kids learn about these tips on how to help them build nests gives me for the future. Thanks!
This is awesome! What a fun craft to do with the kids. I know my daughters would love this! Totally bookmarking!
This is such a fun and sweet idea. I bet my son’s class would like this for a project.
This is a great idea! I need to do this with my niece. I only thought of doing the bird feeder, I’ll add this to our craft list.
Love this! It’s a great way to teach kids about nature and put your scraps/trash to good use.
I make these every year! I love to put colored yard in so that as we look around we can spot nests with a little bit of bright blue or red. Just be sure to use wool yarn – it stays warm even when t’s wet.
My kids would love to make one of these. My daughter keeps trying to hang bird feeders and houses so she can watch them.
We love bird watching as a family activity. Great idea for attracting them to your backyard!
What a great way to teach the kids about nature! We have a birdfeeder off the back of the house that the kids love to fill and watch the birds