Making a paper plate bird feeder is always a fun activity and when it can be connected to the Jewish value of tz’ar ba’alei chayim, compassion or kindness to animals, it becomes even more meaningful to children.
This paper plate bird feeder activity is fast and easy and lets children practice the value of tz’ar ba’alei chayim, as well as the Jewish value of hiddur mitzvah, beautifying objects. Kids can allow their creativity to shine in beautiful ways as they help feed the birds!
What you’ll need
- Paper plate
, the hardy type
- Hole Puncher
- Twine
- Crayons
, colored pencils
or markers
- Pony beads
- Stickers
(optional)
- Bird seed
, the hardy type
, colored pencils
or markers
(optional)
Putting it together
1.Punch four holes equidistant around the paper plate.
2. Cut four strands of twine long enough to dangle the plate when tied around a tree branch.
3. Let the children decorate the plate and twine as they wish. My students and own children used crayons to draw pictures on the plate. Markers, colored pencils and stickers would work well here as well. We also threaded pony beads onto the strands of twine. This is a great way to practice fine motor skills while also doing something most children I know find really fun: decorating with beads!
4. Tie the strands of twine around a tree branch to hang your plate bird feeder.
5. Add bird seed to the plate.
6. Go inside and look through your window to see your special bird visitors!
* If you are doing this in the classroom like I did with my Sunday School students, I prepared the bird seed in little ziplock bags and sent the bags home with the children. We taped the strands of twine together at the end so the beads wouldn’t fall off. I also sent home this little instruction sheet so the parents understood the project and how it needed to be completed at home.
* Why no peanut butter? As a child I remember spreading peanut butter on pinecones or on the outside of empty toilet paper rolls before covering with bird seed. But guess what?! I found out that creamy peanut butter sticks to the birds’ mouths! Super sad and not a nice thought when encouraging children to think about tz’ar ba’alei chayim, compassion or kindness to animals!
Finished and Loving It
This paper plate bird feeder activity was simple and fun. The children enjoyed having the creativity to decorate the plate and twine however they wished. Since no peanut butter was involved, the set up and clean up was super easy and not messy. Just add the bird seed once the plate is already hung and there won’t be a mess at all!
My students were excited to help the animals and my own children loved being able to watch the birds visit. We have a large window in our front room with the perfect view of where we hung my daughter’s bird feeder. And the back slider grants us lovely access to watching the birds visit my son’s bird feeder hung in the back yard.
This paper plate bird feeder activity is easily a fun activity on its own, or you can pair it with a discussion of tz’ar ba’alei chayim, compassion or kindness to animals. In class we discussed tz’ar ba’alei chayim in conjunction with reviewing our torah story about Eliezer finding a wife for Isaac. The wife ends up being Rebecca, known for her kindness to animals.
Check out my post of my Tz’ar Ba’alei Chayim (Kindness to Animals) Lesson Plan here! It’s a short and fun way to talk about compassion to animals.
And interested in introducing or reviewing the story about Eliezer finding Rebecca, a wife for Isaac? This coloring book is such a fun and sweet way to do that!
Looking for more information on tz’ar ba’alei chayim? Check out these articles:
PJ Library: Kindness to Animals
My Jewish Learning: Ethical Treatment of Animals in Judaism
Does your family or class make bird feeders? What kinds have you tried? Or do you have another tried-and-true activity for practicing kindness to animals? We’d love to know what it is! Please share in the comments 🙂
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