How to Make Fat Balls for Birds with Kids
This week for our Rainy Day Tots we have a fun week of bird-themed activities.
Our first activity is to make some homemade bird feed to feed the birds in the garden with the kids.
It’s a really easy activity to do and then you can spot which birds visit your garden every day. A great observation activity for your little ones.
We’re reading a classic poem along with the activities this week The Owl and the Pussycat and The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat by Julia Donaldson.
So here we go our easy DIY Suet Balls for the Birds to make with your toddlers and preschoolers.
We have included affiliate links to some of the products and resources as an associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Homemade Bird Food Recipe to Make with Toddlers and Preschoolers
Feeding the birds is essential throughout the year but really important in winter.
This suet ball recipe is great for the birds as the fat will boost their fat supplies and keep them warm during the winter months.
We use a bird feeder cage, like this one to protect the ball from squirrels in the garden but you could also use a coconut shell or even a yoghurt pot if they aren’t a problem where you live.
Once the bird food is in place we spend a little time each day observing the birds that visit and seeing if we can spot which ones they are. We use our Bird Watching Journal to add to our list of species we have seen as well as some focused bird observation within our daily nature study.
Our Bird Watching Journal is now available in paperback on Amazon around the world it’s currently in British English but there will be a US spelling available very soon.
If you have any bird spotting books you can also help them with how to use spotter guides or you can get apps for your location that will give you the names of the birds and more information.
If you are in the UK check out our review of the RSPB App for Kids which is deal for toddlers and preschoolers to use.
Preparation for Making your Bird Food
Make sure that you are on a surface that is easily cleared up and can be wiped down with HOT water this does get messy.
After you have made these why not have a got at making our apple slice bird feeders another fun nature activity for kids!
Materials Needed for Making Your Fat Balls for the Birds
- 1 box Beef Suet
- 2 cups Mixed Bird Seed
- 1 cup Sunflower Hearts
You can also switch out the Beef Suet for your own fat. If you collect the solid fat from cooking (not oils) then you can use that in place of the box of beef suet to make these fat balls for the birds.
How to Make your DIY Suet Balls for the Birds in Your Garden
1. Pour the suet into a bowl and add in your birdseed.
2. Mix well with your hands.
3. Now take a tennis ball size of the mix and squish and squash it together.
4. The warmth from your hands push your squishing and squeezing will make it compact and turn into a ball. My daughter gave up after ball number 3 but my son pushed on.
5. We made 12 balls in total 6 to use now and 6 to use later as they will store well in a closed container.
6. Once you have them made add them to the fat ball holder and position in the garden.
The Owl and the Pussy Cat by Julia Donaldson
We have included affiliate links to some of the products and resources as an associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.
The first poem I learnt by heart growing up was that of The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear. The version linked is a beautiful illustrated book version of this poem and one that my children have loved.
It has a foreword by Julia Donaldson and she also wrote The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat.
Poetry like Nursery Rhymes and Songs are an important part of literacy for children. Classic poems like this have stood the test of time and are fantastic for reading and teaching your children to speak.
As children get older having being exposed to poetry from an early age they will find it easier to read and write in school as well.
More Bird Activities and Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Make a B is for Bird Letter Craft
- Write with feathers in a sand tray
- With a little help, you and your toddlers and preschoolers can make your own nest box for small birds.
DIY Suet Balls Recipes for Feeding the Birds
Equipment
- Bowl
- Suet Ball Holder
Ingredients
- 1 box Beef Suet
- 2 cups Mixed Bird Seed
- 1 cup Sunflower Hearts
Instructions
- Pour the suet into a bowl and add in your bird seed.
- Mix well with your hands
- Now take a tennis ball size of the mix and squish and squash it together.
- The warmth from your hands push your squishing and squeezing will make it compact and turn into a ball. My daughter gave up after ball number 3 but my son pushed on.
- We made 12 balls in total 6 to use now and 6 to use later as they will store well in a closed container.
- Once you have them made add them to the fat ball holder and position in the garden.
Cerys Parker
Cerys is a marine biologist, environmental educator, teacher, mum, and home educator from the UK. She loves getting creative, whether it is with simple and easy crafts and ideas, activities to make learning fun, or delicious recipes that you and your kids can cook together you'll find them all shared here on Rainy Day Mum.
Thanks for sharing. My kids will be so excited to learn how to do this. Can I use vegetable suet as the primary source of fat for the seed balls?
Hi, I’ve searched and as long as it’s a vegetable suet and not a vegetable oil or margarine it seems to be OK – it’s to do with the hydrogenated fats in the man-made oils margarine. Here’s what I discovered if you go to the section about Fats and Oils on this information from the RSPB.
Great thanks . I wondered how to make them.
The kids will have fun making these.