“Let’s make a bird’s nest using play-doh and some nature materials from outside!”
What is our theme? Birds
What is the lesson (overall purpose)?
A bird’s house is called a nest. Bird’s build nests from many different materials and in many different places. A bird nest is a safe “home” for the mother bird to raise her baby birds.
MA Guidelines/Standards:
CD60: THe younger toddler experiments with various wet and dry materials to discover their properties.
CD61: The younger toddler discovers living things found in nature
CD64: The older toddler observes and identifies living things and begins to identify their basic needs
AL11: The younger toddler expands his exploration of the environment
AL13: The older toddler expands his exploration of the environment
Learning Outcomes:
An understanding that birds make nests in order to lay their eggs and keep them safe.
Birds build their nest in trees, bushes, on the ground, and some even use old nests that they find empty.
Just like people, a bird nest is their home.
Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
https://youtu.be/C9prIh2EFWc Book: This is The Nest That Robin Built
https://www.howweelearn.com/playdough-bird-craft-kids/
Pinterest Bird nest craft
Video of Riley making a bird’s nest.
Materials
Play doh (From Monday's Lesson 4/13/20)
Leaves, small twigs, pine needles from outside
Yarn, torn paper, cotton
Bucket or bag to collect your materials
Activity (Procedure):
After watching the story “This is The Nest That Robin Built” go outside with mom or dad, and collect some material that you think a bird would use to make a nest. Look for small leaves, pine needles, pieces of grass, and small twigs. Gather all your materials in a bucket or bag and bring them inside. If you have small pieces of yarn or cotton, or even small pieces of torn paper, you can use those too.
Now using the playdoh, make a round ball. Use your fingers to make the ball into a bowl shape.
Once you have made your bowl shape, take the materials you found outside and add them to the bowl. You just made a bird’s nest!
Activity Wrap Up:
What sorts of materials did you find while searching outside? Did you use anything from inside your house? Was your nest big or small? What kind of bird do you think lives in your nest? What sort of sound would that bird make?
Have mom or dad take a picture of your nest and post it on the website or email it to Ms. Haley and I. We would love to see your work.
How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment)
Is your child able to tell you that a bird lives in a nest and that is where it keeps its eggs safe? Ask your child what sorts of materials birds use to make a nest? Where can you find a bird’s nest?
How can you extend this activity? (Modifications)
How about adding some eggs to your nest? You can make these by rolling up tiny balls of play doh. How about finding some small stones and using those as eggs? What other materials could you use to make eggs? How many eggs do you want in your nest? Can you count them?
Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions)
If you don’t want to make your own play doh, you can use store bought play-doh. If you don’t have any play- doh you can use a small bowl for your nest and then add the natural materials you collected and then your ‘eggs’.
What is our theme? Birds
What is the lesson (overall purpose)?
A bird’s house is called a nest. Bird’s build nests from many different materials and in many different places. A bird nest is a safe “home” for the mother bird to raise her baby birds.
MA Guidelines/Standards:
CD60: THe younger toddler experiments with various wet and dry materials to discover their properties.
CD61: The younger toddler discovers living things found in nature
CD64: The older toddler observes and identifies living things and begins to identify their basic needs
AL11: The younger toddler expands his exploration of the environment
AL13: The older toddler expands his exploration of the environment
Learning Outcomes:
An understanding that birds make nests in order to lay their eggs and keep them safe.
Birds build their nest in trees, bushes, on the ground, and some even use old nests that they find empty.
Just like people, a bird nest is their home.
Songs, Books & Videos (Motivational Techniques)
https://youtu.be/C9prIh2EFWc Book: This is The Nest That Robin Built
https://www.howweelearn.com/playdough-bird-craft-kids/
Pinterest Bird nest craft
Video of Riley making a bird’s nest.
Materials
Play doh (From Monday's Lesson 4/13/20)
Leaves, small twigs, pine needles from outside
Yarn, torn paper, cotton
Bucket or bag to collect your materials
Activity (Procedure):
After watching the story “This is The Nest That Robin Built” go outside with mom or dad, and collect some material that you think a bird would use to make a nest. Look for small leaves, pine needles, pieces of grass, and small twigs. Gather all your materials in a bucket or bag and bring them inside. If you have small pieces of yarn or cotton, or even small pieces of torn paper, you can use those too.
Now using the playdoh, make a round ball. Use your fingers to make the ball into a bowl shape.
Once you have made your bowl shape, take the materials you found outside and add them to the bowl. You just made a bird’s nest!
Activity Wrap Up:
What sorts of materials did you find while searching outside? Did you use anything from inside your house? Was your nest big or small? What kind of bird do you think lives in your nest? What sort of sound would that bird make?
Have mom or dad take a picture of your nest and post it on the website or email it to Ms. Haley and I. We would love to see your work.
How do I know what my child is learning? (Assessment)
Is your child able to tell you that a bird lives in a nest and that is where it keeps its eggs safe? Ask your child what sorts of materials birds use to make a nest? Where can you find a bird’s nest?
How can you extend this activity? (Modifications)
How about adding some eggs to your nest? You can make these by rolling up tiny balls of play doh. How about finding some small stones and using those as eggs? What other materials could you use to make eggs? How many eggs do you want in your nest? Can you count them?
Helpful Hints: (Pitfalls & Solutions)
If you don’t want to make your own play doh, you can use store bought play-doh. If you don’t have any play- doh you can use a small bowl for your nest and then add the natural materials you collected and then your ‘eggs’.
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