Arts Crafts

Bird Crafts for Kids and Toddlers

Fun with our feathered friends

Children see birds everywhere! In the park, at the zoo or aviary, pecking at the ground on the sidewalk and soaring through the sky.

Birds are fun for kids (and parents) because there is so much variety in the size, shape and colour of birds around the world.

So what makes a bird a bird? Ask your child and see what they come up with!

Feathers? A beak? Hatch from eggs? Make nests? What about flying? (Some birds don’t fly!)

Have fun with your kids exploring birds with creative hands-on activities this week.

So let’s get started!

Bird activities for kids and toddlers

Make a bird nest

Make a bird nest
  • Unpack your paper bowl, wool, paper strips and cotton.
  • Explain to your child how birds make their nests by collecting twigs, grass, leaves and even bits of string and hair. They then put them together to make a warm and dry place to sleep.
  • Show your child how to take one piece at a time and put it in the bowl in circular pattern. Repeat until your nest is full and nice and cosy. Now place an egg and or clay bird in the nest.

Make a paper plate bird

Make a bird from a paper plate
  • Unpack your paper plate, craft foam and googly eyes. Take out your paint, paintbrush, white glue, crayons, pencil, scissors, clear tape and ruler.
  • Divide your plate into 3 equal sections by drawing 2 straight lines about 10cm apart on the back of the plate. Now cut along the lines. Use the middle section to make the bird’s body and the sides for wings.
  • Talk to your child about different types of birds, their colours and size. Let them choose what type of bird they want to make and what colour it will be. Turn the plate rightside up and let them paint their bird’s wings and body. To assemble your bird turn the body and wings over. Secure the wings on the back of the body with tape. Turn it right-side up and stick on the beak and googly eyes with white glue.

Make a 3D clay bird

Make a 3D bird
  • Unpack your clay, feathers and googly eyes. Take out your toothpick and a plastic tray to use as a workspace.
  • Tell your child you are going to make a bird with the clay and use the feathers for wings! To make the bird’s body, roll a ball of clay about 4cm across and form it into an oval shape. Push the bottom down gently on the work surface so it flattens and can stand up by itself. To make the bird’s head roll a ball of clay about 2cm across and
    push it gently on top of the bird’s body. To make the beak pinch the centre of the head to form a point.
  • To finish the bird’s face push the googly eyes gently into the head above the beak. Now for the feathers! Use a toothpick to poke holes in the clay body to help stick in the feathers. Stick a feather in the top of the head. Now stick one feather in each side for the wings.