This One is For the Birds

We here in the Messy Homeschool House have a love of animals.  If 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 4 aquariums didn't tell you that, then the zoology curriculum would.  But we also love the critters that aren't pets.  For these feathered and furry companions in the great outdoors we love to feed and water them. We even provide a frame for orb weaver spiders (so not my idea!).

The My Father's World curriculum has both my kindergartner and 3rd grader using a Soda Bottle Bird Feeder.  Hubs had actually picked this up at the homeschool convention back in 2015.  I'm looking forward to stocking it again this winter as part of our homeschooling adventures.  If you want to buy one check out Amazon or Rainbow Resource.

The premise is cool, and environmentally friendly.  You attach the handle to the bottom third of a 2 liter soda bottle, fill the bottle with seed, and screw on the feeder portion.  Then you invert the whole thing and hang it up.  Viola!  Hanging, recycled materials bird feeder.  Its a really cool concept.  I remember seeing the one we have and similar ones as far back as 1998 or so (my parents owned a hardware store back in the day and we had them!) but I am finding that they are more popular now.




We actually have ours strung up just outside our living room window, and the birds come right up to eat.  They were nervous about the cats in the window at first, but they soon realized that there is this mystical thing called glass separating them from harm.  The cats haven't seemed to learn it as well, since Ollie (and even occasionally grumpy old man Cleo) regularly pounce at the window and crash land.  I think all of that crashing has effected Ollie's memory.

I like the quality of the feeder we have.  Even though it is plastic it hasn't broken in cold weather or faded in the sun.  Its still quite solid after 18 months outside.  I have seen metal ones but they seem to only be able to accommodate 1-2 birds at a time, but this one has had 5-7 on it at a time without trouble.  Its nice to be able to have a bunch of birds eating at once.

Even if your curriculum doesn't call for one of these nifty little feeders, try one out.  For about $12 (the feeder itself, a bottle of soda, and a small bag of seed) you can be bird watching right outside your window!

School Ideas:

• Keep a Notebook - record all of the birds you see come to your feeder.  Draw a picture or write a description
• Compare Food Preferences- Get two kits, and fill them with different kinds of food.  Record which one gets emptied first
• Field Guide - Keep a field guide handy and look up the birds you see
• Responsibility- this is a great non-pet way to help your children learn to be responsible!