Today we are heading outside for a nature walk! But not just any nature walk. We have an artist-in-residence today (a.k.a G.G. or grandpa!) and G.G. has a special way of making the normal VERY interesting. Unbeknownst to my 3-year-old, G.G. has a fantastic collection of bird feathers and he has littered the backyard with them. We are going on a feather hunt!

C. had to really practice hunching over and slowly scanning the ground for our feathered treasure!

If you don’t have feathers to sprinkle in your yard (or a park), many craft stores have real bird feathers for sale.

The best part about this came long after the feather hunt. Crowley gathered his feathers and placed them by the back window. Why? That offers a view of our bird feeder. He loves standing there and matching feather to bird, as they gather to eat the bird seed. This was unexpected and so much fun!
TODDLER TAKE AWAYS!
- Spark their interest in nature
- Develop problem solving skills
- Deepen their experience of nature in general and birds specifically
- Develop cognitive and relationship skills when you match feather to bird
- Exercise
- Hand eye coordination
Enjoy!
Anna
What an absolutely terrific idea to match the feather to the bird as it nibbles away on the feeder! I’m gonna borrow this project and do it with my nieces. Thanks!
Yay! Plz take pics when you do:)
Oh my gosh, I LOVE this idea! Sadly I don’t have a collection of authentic feathers, but your suggestion to pick up a bag at the craft store is GREAT! Thanks for sharing at the Outdoor Play Party!
Thank you so much! I love following your blog – you do such a great job and have so many wonderful ideas. Thank you for commenting here!