Your children can unleash their creativity, get their hands dirty, and engage with nature while doing this fun STEAM project! Teach them about the natural wildlife around them while building their own sturdy bird’s nest using only natural materials that they can find outside. Challenge them to see if they can build a nest better than a bird! 
Materials needed:
- Paper plate
- Scissors
- String or yarn
- Be creative and find some natural materials such as leaves, grass, moss, sticks, dirt, sand, etc.
Please be aware that this activity can get messy! It might be a good idea to set this project up outdoors. First, take your kids outside and have them collect materials to build their bird’s nest. You never know what you will find when you walk outside – they can let their imaginations run wild! Once they have collected their materials, lay them out and give your child a paper plate and a pair of scissors (if needed).
While your kiddos are busy building their nests, encourage them to do their best and not get frustrated if they can’t make the nest like a bird. This is part of learning how challenging it is for birds to build their nests.
After the nests are built, have your children take some time to reflect on how things went. Ask questions such as:
- Was it as easy or as hard as you thought?
- How did it go? Were you able to build a sturdy nest?
- What would you need for the nest to hold up better?
- Did certain materials work better than others?
The best part about this project is that there’s no right or wrong way to build your bird’s nest. Kids of all ages can experiment using materials that they have found to create their own unique nest. We love this STEAM project – not only do your children get to research, plan and get crafty, they also use their engineering and math skills.
See the full experiment and the science behind it from Kids Craft Room HERE.
As always, get as creative as you want, and above all, have lots of fun learning together!
We’ll see you right back here next Saturday for another STEAM Saturday activity! Scroll through the rest of our website to learn how Critchlow Adkins is Building Brighter Futures for the children and families we serve!
