My how they've grown!
Get them interested in the garden with our easy ideas and help them learn to care for plants and wildlife
Birdseed feeder
Attract wild birds to your garden with this birdseed feeder. Hang it from a tree in your garden and watch the birds tuck in.
1
Cut squash in half Ask an adult to divide the squash in half then scoop out the flesh from the inside. Get an adult to pierce two parallel rows of holes round the edge of the squash using a bradawl. Next insert the cloves into the holes.
2
Plait string Cut six pieces of string 1 metre long. Take three strands and knot them together at one end. Start plaiting the string (get someone to hold the knotted end to make it easier). When finished, plait the remaining three lengths to form the second hanging loop.
3
Fix hanging loops Turn the squash upside down. Lay the plaited string in an ‘X’ across the base. Ask an adult to push a nail into the squash so it holds the string in place.
4
Finish off In a saucepan, melt the packet of suet until it becomes liquid. Add the birdseed and stir it until the mixture becomes firm. Spoon it carefully into the squash bowl. Tie the ends of the string around a branch of a tree, and trim the ends using scissors.
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You will need:
- onion squash or small pumpkin
- bradawl (for making holes in the squash)
- dried cloves
- scissors
- string
- 1 small nail
- 1 packet suet
- saucepan
- birdseed mix
- spoon
HINTS AND TIPS
- For a more permanent bird feeder, use a small wooden bowl and ask an adult to drill four holes just below the rim. Then suspend the bowl from plaited string hanging loops. Finally fill it with the seed and suet mix.
- Use the birdseed mix to fill nylon net bags that you can buy peanuts or garlic in. Hang from a tree in the garden.
For more great ideas see Gardening With Kids by Catherine Woram and Martyn Cox (with photography by Polly Wreford), published by Ryland, Peters & Small. Available to buy from www.tesco.com/books.