Winter Gifts: Bird Seed Pinecones

Every year I tell a story to the kindergartners about "Winter Gifts". It is a prelude to our seasonal activity - pine cone bird feeders. The children understand these feeders are a thank you to our feathered friends during the leaner times of winter.

The children carefully put sunflower butter all over the pine cone, then roll it in wild bird seed. Once covered with seed, each child finds a special place to hang the feeder.

While we are making the feeders one can almost feel the birds circling closer and closer. I think they've come to expect this each year. As soon as the children turn their backs, the birds are all over the pine cones, and within just a couple days, the birds completely pick each feeder clean.

You can see the progression here.