Hello, my fellow educators. Today, we explore a fine motor activity using feathers and clothes pins. I tied strong twine from one chair back to another, and the children hung feathers we collected on our nature walks. This simple, joyful, hands-on activity generated giggles and learning.
Below are some benefits of learning with the feathers we collected.
Learning can be joyful. The children are happy and motivated, they use materials sourced by them, they learn with less expensive materials, and they improve their social relationships while playing.
The beautiful speckled feather remains a mystery. However, we speculate the light blue feather is from a blue jay that regularly visits our yard. We often spot it squawking and chasing smaller birds like the chickadees that nest in our trees.
The large feathers we think are from the geese that patrol our neighborhoods.
How do I clean our feathers? I wash them with Dawn soap and Lysol liquid disinfectant, taking that extra layer of precaution mainly because of the young children in my home childcare.
Disclosure – I operate a nature school and am mindful of laws that prohibit the collection of certain feathers. However, many birds visit our yard and deposit feathers all over it. We also love going on nature treasure hunts.
Some things we find on nature walks are bird nests, pods, sticks, shed barks, lichens, pinecones, leaves, feathers, rocks, exoskeletons, and other random bits. As stewards of our environment, we do not hurt animals to get their feathers.
Here is an example of a Robin bird that made a nest in our yard
Here is a list of some birds that visit our yard – Robins, which often nest in our backyard. Sparrows, Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, Finches, Hummingbirds, Song Birds, Orioles, Warblers, Cardinals, Crows, and Red Winged Black Birds, we attract these birds with our garden, bird houses, and bird feeders.
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