Easy Peanut Butter Bird Feeder

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Using peanut butter, bread and bird seed – this peanut butter bird feeder is a simple and easy homemade bird feeder for toddlers and preschoolers to make and observe science.  

As spring comes to an end and summer approaches one of our goals is to get outside as much as possible and incorporating STEAM nature activities was a top priority on my list.  So when I saw this DIY Peanut Butter Bird Feeder for Kids I knew it was a perfect addition to our list of activities. It not only incorporated fun activity time but observation skills, an appreciation for nature and an easy way to practice multiple step commands.(isn’t there a word for this?)

One thing that made this activity a favorite was that it was easy enough that Miss. E could do the entire project almost completely alone. It is a truly easy DIY bird feeder and  she loved “doing it by herself”. As a mom and teacher I also loved watching to see these small steps of independence grow as she does! They are definite confidence boosters and the perfect way to allow independence in a controlled and fun environment.

DIY Peanut Butter Bird Feeder for Kids

Is it safe for birds to eat peanut butter? This is a myth – there is no recorded evidence of peanut butter ever being a problem for birds. Peanut butter is a very nutritious treat, high in calories and fat for great energy. Many birds enjoy peanut butter, including nuthatches, chickadees, woodpeckers, and jays!

Materials needed DIY Peanut Butter Bird Feeder for Kids

• Slice of bread
• Knife (butter knife would work best)
• Peanut butter
• Bird seed 
• Yarn/ string

Step by Step to make DIY Peanut Butter Bird Feeder for Kids

1. Allow toddler to smear the peanut butter onto the slice of bread using a butter knife. 
2. Next, allow them to drizzle the bird seed on top of the peanut butter.
3. Poke a small hole near the center of the bread. (This helps ensure the bread won’t rip from the weight.) 

1.  Run the string through the hole and tie off forming a large loop to hang from a tree. This helps ensure the bread won’t rip from the weight. 
2.  Find the perfect spot to hang outside and wait for the birds to come and enjoy! 

We loved this simple and fun activity at our house. However, I wanted to be sure that our project would be nature friendly. I was worried that peanut butter may not be ok for birds to eat. So I did a little investigating and according to my research there is no recorded evidence of peanut butter ever being a problem for birds. Peanut butter is a very nutritious treat, high in calories and fat for great energy. So it is not only nutritious but delicious for birds and humans alike!

How do you make a bird feeder for kids?  There are several great methods (see our other two bird feeder projects below) of teaching kids to make bird feeders from simple materials… then what a great science lesson as they observe in nature in the world around them.

Other Preschool STEAM Nature Activities we’ve done:

Easy Bird Feeder – using an orange, bird seed and string!

Build a Bird Feeder – This Preschool Engineering project uses a pine cone, peanut butter, birdseed and string. It’s a great project for preschoolers to learn the process of building something simple using simple materials.