These Cheerio bird feeders are easy enough for toddlers and preschoolers to make using just pipe cleaners and Cheerios. They provide kids with the chance to connect with nature and they’re a great way to strengthen fine-motor skills. 
One of our traditional winter activities here in my daycare is making simple bird feeders for the back yard.
The kids have a lot of fun making their feeders, and they love checking them every day to see if our neighbourhood birds are enjoying their treats.
In the past, we’ve used an assortment of cereals, fruits and grains for our bird feeders, but today, I’m showing you the simplest feeder of all. Â It’s a pipe-cleaner and cheerio number that the toddlers loved putting together.
How to Make a Cheerio Bird Feeder with Pipe Cleaners and Raffia
Supplies:
- 3 pipe cleaners
- Cheerios
- something to hang your bird feeder with i.e. raffia, yarn, string etc.
Instructions:
To make our feeders, the hooligans started by threading cheerios onto 3 pipe cleaners. They loved this process. It’s such a great fine-motor challenge.
The baby didn’t participate except to eat, scatter, tip and throw cheerios for the entire time we were crafting.
She probably stepped on or sat on (and tipped) the tray about 10 times. Â She was in her glory. Â All-you-can-eat Cheerio buffet! Â What little one wouldn’t love that?
I wasn’t sure if the two year olds would stick with the project long enough to fill all three pipe cleaners, but they did!
It took them a good 40 minutes to get the job done, but they stayed with it, munching away while they worked, holding their pipe-cleaner up every few minutes to show me their progress.
When the threading is done, you’re ready to move to the next step.
Forming your bird feeder
Leave a bit of space at each end, and take 2 pipe cleaners, and twist the ends together to form a circle.
Now, take your 3rd pipe cleaner, and lay it across the circle. Â Twist those ends around the gaps in the circle where your first two pipe cleaners were joined. This 3rd pipe cleaner will serve as a perch for small birds to sit on.
Tie a length of raffia or ribbon or yarn to the top of the pipe cleaner so you can hang it from a branch.
Isn’t it pretty?
Now, it’s time to head outside and find a place to hang your feeder.
We have a bird-watching neighbour, so we hung one of ours in a small tree just outside of his kitchen window!
Bon Appetite, my feathered friends!
Looking for more easy bird feeder crafts? Check out:
Cheerio and Blueberry Bird Feeders
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
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Vanessa
Ugh, I got hacked yesterday. It happened to quite a few of us for some reason, weird. It’s up and running again, yay! Glad you all enjoyed the bird feeder!
happyhooligans
Oh, good! (not that you got hacked, but that you got it sorted out!). Love your blog, Vanessa!
Katie
I just pinned this and shared on Facebook! These are so easy, and so FUN! I always look forward to your link ups and your Facebook posts! Thanks for sharing at Thrifty Thursday!
Amy
What a fantastic way to incorporate fine motor skills and feeding the birds! Thanks for linking up!
Angi
I co-direct a respite care program for folks with Alzheimer’s at my church and this will be a great project for us to do. Simple but not too childish. Thanks for the great idea!
Coombe Mill (Fiona) (@coombemill)
Lovely idea, we always have cheerios around so might try this when it stops raining so they don’t melt away!
Mudpie Mama
These are brilliant. Little Man loves cheerios and I reckon he would love making these (if he doesn’t eat them all first!) Thanks for sharing with the Outdoor Play Party 🙂
Natalie
I love this! But please keep in mind, many birds can’t digest chocolate. Any other flavor would be great.
Shannon
Love the idea but was told while on a nature center field trip that chocolate cheerios are toxic to birds both pet and wild. Plain ones are good though!
Mrs. G
Could always use fruit loops
Ashley
This is a fantastic idea!! I can’t wait to try this with my little peanut.
Nik
Although bread/Cheerios have no nutritional value for birds, chocolate can be toxic.
jenny
This is a great idea! I actually did it with my twin 3 year old grands. The thing is no birds at all came. Very disappointing to the little boys:(
Nancy
I love this idea but I urge you to edit the instructions to not include chocolate cheerios since they are toxic to birds and other animals. Busy readers may not know or see this important information in the comments. Nature needs all the help it can get . Thanks!
Jackie Currie
Thanks, Nancy. I’ve removed the paragraph that talks about the flavours of Cheerios we used. x