Tag: barefoot books

Recycled Bird Feeders

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After our recent pine cone bird feeders didn’t get much nibbling from neighborhood birds, we wanted to give our feathered friends more of a perch to stand on while having a late autumn snack! This project from Barefoot Books is a great way to recycle juice or non-dairy milk cartons.

Adults, cut a rectangular opening in one side of a clean, empty carton, making sure it’s about 2 inches from the bottom of the carton.

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Now give your child carte blanche to decorate however they please. We wanted to make our carton bright and vibrant for the birds, so added colorful buttons and pom poms.

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And then Travis decided we needed glitter… lots of glitter!

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At this point we left the carton to dry overnight. The next day, poke two holes in the bottom of the carton. Select a stick from outside to be the perch; insert through the holes.

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Use a hole punch to make a hole in the top of the carton, and thread with string. My milk carton was so thick that I ended up hot gluing the string instead, which worked in a pinch.

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Now find a beautiful place to hang it, and fill with  birdseed!

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To continue the fun, consider purchasing a kid-friendly field guide to birds, and check off the visitors you receive over the winter.

 

Mud Pies

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Kids usually don’t need any excuse to play with dirt, but at least with this project you get a lovely result! This game was yet another beautiful suggestion from our Barefoot Books Kids’ Garden kit.

To start, fill a pie plate or paper plate with soil using a hand trowel, leaving room on top. We’re new to having a backyard of our own, so Travis is loving all the play with shovels and dirt lately!

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Slowly add water to the soil, stirring until you have a wonderful goopy mud. Travis loved this step of course.

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Now we needed to decorate our “pies.” Add any pretty flower clippings, leaves, or petals, and let your “baker” decorate to his or her heart’s content. I placed a few flowers facing up, but Travis preferred his facing down – a whimsical little element.

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Leave your mud pie to bake in a sunny spot. We checked it again after 4 hours, but since the day had clouded over, it was mostly set, but still a bit mushy.

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Continue checking on your mud pie for about a week to observe any changes. It might turn to mud again if you get a rainy day!

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At the end of the week, simply tip it into your garden as compost. How’s that for easy clean up?

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Hiking on an Ant Trail

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This adorable idea came to us from Barefoot Books’ Kids’ Garden kit. All you need is a 3-foot length of string, magnifying glasses and your imagination to have a magical moment.

Our new home has a patch of grass – a novelty after years with a balcony that overlooked a dumpster – so when I asked Travis if he wanted to pretend to be an ant outside just after breakfast, the answer was an enthusiastic yes!

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I cut a length of string about three feet long and we placed it in the grass with a few loops and coils. Using our magnifying glasses as we walked, we went inch by careful inch to try and see the world from an ant’s point of view.

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Some of our best finds were little roots of a bush:

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Tiny plants popping up from the soil:

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and dew drops sparkling on a spiderweb.

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It was fantastically fun to slow down and move so carefully, especially in this fast-paced world of ours.

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Do your child and yourself a favor and try this game soon!

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Breakfast Friends

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We love this adorable breakfast idea from Barefoot Books‘ Kids’ Kitchen set.

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices whole-wheat bread
  • 2 Ener-G eggs
  • 3 tablespoons plain coconut yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons agave nectar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
  • Raisins for decoration

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  1. Use animal-shaped cookie cutters to cut fun (friendly!) animals out of the bread slices.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the Ener-G eggs, yogurt, agave, and cinnamon. Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture one a time, coating both sides.
  3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet, and add two of the bread slices. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Repeat with the remaining butter and bread slices.
  4. Don’t forget to add raisin eyes and decorations before eating! Yum – which friends will you invite to breakfast?

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