Activity 14 – LET’S DO THE TABLES

In winter birds have a hard time finding food. No fruit on the trees, no insects around, crumbs carried off by the wind and rain. Making a bird table is a great way to help birds survive the cold spell.

• Speak to the kids about animals and food. Make them aware of the following facts:
  • food is easy for us people to procure, but birds and other animals have to find their own
  • food every single day, or go hungry
  • in winter many birds fail to find food because there¹s no fruit on trees and insects either die or hide
  • we can help some of these birds by providing them with food to help them survive the winter
    

• Follow the Bird Table instructions. If possible, make more than one table and see which location works best. This way you will also be feeding more birds! Try also to find a spot where the bird tables can be seen from the classroom windows.
  

• Put children in charge of keeping the tables stocked up and of cleaning them. Old food should be cleared away.
  

• If you don’t see birds using your table after a month, change the spot. But don’t expect them to take to your restaurant immediately! Birds are suspicious of strange objects (and rightly so!), so give them time to get used to it.
  

• If you’re using the Green Board to promote this activity, do encourage pupils to set up a bird table in their own garden at home, or even on a window ledge if they don’t have a garden.
  

• Take pictures of the bird table, if possible with kids putting it up or stocking it with titbits. See if someone can take a picture of a bird actually using your bird table (although this isn’t necessary to get you your points!). Send them along with your Feedback Form.
  

Points...

100 points