What You’ll Need

• Red poster board
• Scissors
• Black marker
• Wiggle eyes
• Yarn

 What to Do

1. Fold red poster board in half. Cut out a cardinal’s body, keeping part of the fold uncut at the top.
2. Use a marker to draw the bird’s face. Add wiggle eyes.
3. 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.
4. 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.