There are enough pieces to this project that a group of children could make it together (4 children could each make a bird, one child could do the nest, 2 to 4 children could make the eggs and 2 children could make tree tops).

The oldest children should work on the treetops, as it's a bit harder to cut through the thin cardboard and line up the pieces

Materials:

• glue,
• scissors,
• printer,
• paper,
• wool or string,
• thin cardboard (old cereal box) and
• something to color with (optional).

Optional DECORATIONS:  

• feathers,
• wiggly eyes,
• green sparkle glue,
• straw or wool

Instructions:

• Print Template 1 (the bird).  You'll need to print 4 copies so you have 4 birds.
   
  • Color (as appropriate) -- water color paint works nice as does finger paint
  • Fold the template in half so the pieces line up nicely.
  • Unfold the template and apply glue to the inside (the uncolored side).
  • Refold the template and let dry
  • Cut out the template piece.  It's a nice rounded piece so young children should be able to do it on their own.
  • Optional:  glue on a few feathers for wings or wiggly eyes
• Print Template 2 (the nest).  You'll only need one copy of this template.
   
  • Color (as appropriate) -- water color paint works nice as does finger paint
  • Fold the template in half so the pieces line up nicely.
  • Unfold the template and apply glue to the inside (the uncolored side).
  • Refold the template and let dry
  • Cut out the template piece.  It's a nice rounded piece so young children should be able to do it on their own.
  • Optional:  glue on a few bits of straw or wool as nest material.  You can use this opportunity to talk a bit about what birds use to make their nests.
     
    
• Print Template 3 (the eggs).  You'll only need one copy of this template.
   
  • Color (as appropriate) -- robins have blue eggs, ducks have greenish-brown eggs, terns have speckled "sand" looking eggs etc.  You can make speckled eggs by dipping a toothbrush in paint and running your fingernail (or a popsicle stick) over it.
  • Use this opportunity to talk about bird eggs.  Why do some birds have different colors -- if a bird's nest is hidden, it will often have brightly colored or white eggs (like a robin).  If a bird nests out in the open or on the ground, it will have egg colors that blend into the background (like ducks or terns) to hide the nest from predators.
  • Cut out the template piece.   The eggs are a bit harder to cut out than the other pieces, so younger children may need help.
  • Glue the eggs into the nest (on both sides) so it looks like the 4 little birdies just hatched out of their eggs.
• Print Template 4 & 6   and  5 & 7 (the tree top).  You'll need one copy of each.
   
  • Color (as appropriate) -- water color paint works nice as does finger paint.
  • Cut out each template piece.  You'll notice that 2 have the line in the middle starting from the top (templates 4 & 6) and 2 have the line in the middle starting from the bottom (templates 5 & 7) -- these are pairs.
       
  • Glue template 4 to a thin piece of cardboard and cut out.  Glue template 6 to the back of that piece.
  • Glue template 5 to a thin piece of cardboard and cut out.  Glue template 7 to the back of that piece.
  • Punch holes where indicated (one in each corner and one in the middle) -- 5 holes altogether.
  • Optional:  use green sparkle glue to color in the leaves or trace around the edge.
     
    
• Cut down the middle line of template 4/6 and up the middle line of template 5/7.  Slide the pieces together.
• Tie an equal length piece of string to each bird and tie them onto the 4 corners of the tree top.
• Tie a longer piece of string to the next and tie it to the center of the tree top.
• Punch a hole in the top of the treetop and hang from the ceiling!

Bird Template (Template 1) -- print 4 copies   (color)   or   (B&W)
Nest Template (Template 2) -- print 1 copy    (color)   or   (B&W)
Eggs Template (Template 3) -- print 1 copy   (color)   or   (B&W)

Treetop Template (Template 4) -- print 1 copy   (color)   or   (B&W)
Treetop Template (Template 5) -- print 1 copy   (color)   or   (B&W)
Treetop Template (Template 6) -- print 1 copy   (color)   or   (B&W)
Treetop Template (Template 7) -- print 1 copy   (color)   or   (B&W)

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