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DLTK's Bird Mobile Craft

Materials:

bullet glue, 
bullet scissors, 
bullet printer, 
bullet paper, 
bullet wool or string, 
bullet thin cardboard (old cereal box) and 
bullet something to color with (optional).

spring bird mobile

 OPTIONAL DECORATIONS:  

bulletfeathers, 
bullet wiggly eyes, 
bullet green sparkle glue, 
bullet straw or wool

There are enough pieces to this project that a group of children could make it together (4 children could each make a bird, one child could do the nest, 2 to 4 children could make the eggs and 2 children could make tree tops).  

The oldest children should work on the treetops, as it's a bit harder to cut through the thin cardboard and line up the pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

bulletPrint Template 1 (the bird).  You'll need to print 4 copies so you have 4 birds.
  
bulletColor (as appropriate) -- water color paint works nice as does finger paint 
  
bulletFold the template in half so the pieces line up nicely.
  
bulletUnfold the template and apply glue to the inside (the uncolored side).
  
bulletRefold the template and let dry
  
bulletCut out the template piece.  It's a nice rounded piece so young children should be able to do it on their own.
  
bulletOPTIONAL:  glue on a few feathers for wings or wiggly eyes
  
bulletPrint Template 2 (the nest).  You'll only need one copy of this template.
  
bulletColor (as appropriate) -- water color paint works nice as does finger paint 
  
bulletFold the template in half so the pieces line up nicely.
  
bulletUnfold the template and apply glue to the inside (the uncolored side).
  
bulletRefold the template and let dry
  
bulletCut out the template piece.  It's a nice rounded piece so young children should be able to do it on their own.
  
bulletOPTIONAL:  glue on a few bits of straw or wool as nest material.  You can use this opportunity to talk a bit about what birds use to make their nests.
bulletPrint Template 3 (the eggs).  You'll only need one copy of this template.
  
bulletColor (as appropriate) -- robins have blue eggs, ducks have greenish-brown eggs, terns have speckled "sand" looking eggs etc.  You can make speckled eggs by dipping a toothbrush in paint and running your fingernail (or a popsicle stick) over it.
  
bulletUse this opportunity to talk about bird eggs.  Why do some birds have different colors -- if a bird's nest is hidden, it will often have brightly colored or white eggs (like a robin).  If a bird nests out in the open or on the ground, it will have egg colors that blend into the background (like ducks or terns) to hide the nest from predators.
    
bulletCut out the template piece.   The eggs are a bit harder to cut out than the other pieces, so younger children may need help.
  
bulletGlue the eggs into the nest (on both sides) so it looks like the 4 little birdies just hatched out of their eggs.
  
bulletPrint Template 4 & 6   and  5 & 7 (the tree top).  You'll need one copy of each.
  
bulletColor (as appropriate) -- water color paint works nice as does finger paint.
  
bulletCut out each template piece.  You'll notice that 2 have the line in the middle starting from the top (templates 4 & 6) and 2 have the line in the middle starting from the bottom (templates 5 & 7) -- these are pairs.
     
bulletGlue template 4 to a thin piece of cardboard and cut out.  Glue template 6 to the back of that piece.
  
bulletGlue template 5 to a thin piece of cardboard and cut out.  Glue template 7 to the back of that piece.
  
bulletPunch holes where indicated (one in each corner and one in the middle) -- 5 holes altogether.
  
bulletOPTIONAL:  use green sparkle glue to color in the leaves or trace around the edge.
bulletCut down the middle line of template 4/6 and up the middle line of template 5/7.  Slide the pieces together.
  
bulletTie an equal length piece of string to each bird and tie them onto the 4 corners of the tree top
  
bulletTie a longer piece of string to the next and tie it to the center of the tree top.
  
bulletPunch a hole in the top of the treetop and hang from the ceiling!


Bird Template (Template 1) -- print 4 copies   (color)   or   (B&W)
Nest Template (Template 2) -- print 1 copy   (color)   or   (B&W)
Eggs Template (Template 3) -- print 1 copy   (color)   or   (B&W)

Treetop Template (Template 4) -- print 1 copy   (color)   or   (B&W)
Treetop Template (Template 5) -- print 1 copy   (color)   or   (B&W)
Treetop Template (Template 6) -- print 1 copy   (color)   or   (B&W)
Treetop Template (Template 7) -- print 1 copy   (color)   or   (B&W)