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What You’ll Need
- Red poster board
- Scissors
- Black marker
- Wiggle eyes
- Yarn
What to Do
- Fold red poster board in half. Cut out a cardinal’s body, keeping part of the fold uncut at the top.
- Use a marker to draw the bird’s face. Add wiggle eyes.
- Cut out wings from poster board. Cut a slit in the body. Insert the wings. Use two small pieces of poster board to cover the ends of the slit.
- Find the center of balance by holding the top of the bird with two fingers. Punch a hole in that spot. Tie on a yarn hanger.
Extend the Fun
For younger kids: The proper scissors make this craft a breeze. Little hands need youth, school, or kid-size safety scissors; left-handed kids need lefty scissors. Other ideas to encourage fine motor skills: Paste sunflower seeds on paper to make a bird silhouette. Stuff pinecones with peanut butter, roll in sunflower seeds, and hang ’em outside as a cardinal café.
For older kids: Make a nest, as cardinals do: Gather leaves, weeds, and twigs, fashioning them into an open-cup shape; line with soft grass, hair, or dryer lint; display outdoors. Just for fun, write a make-believe menu for a cardinal restaurant. List entrees cardinals like to eat: seeds, insects, berries (even spiders!). Give each one a funny name, like spider stew or bug muffins.
