Birds are fascinating animals for children and adults alike, they come in different colours, sizes and they fly (what could be better for a child?). The problem is that often they hide or are too far from us to see properly.

By inviting them to your garden or balcony, it might be easier to get a better look and learn some interesting facts about them, like how their feathers are specially made for insulation and will keep them warm. If you haven’t done this before, try pouring water on a feather and see how water just slips over them – feathers work as the bird’s rain jackets. Their beaks can tell a lot about them as well; a nectar feeder bird has a thin, long and rounded tip beak to suck nectar from the inside of the flowers, and a seed eater bird has a short and robust beak that ends in a cone shape for grasping and opening seeds more easily.

A good way to inspire a love for birds and to attract them to your garden is by making simple bird feeders at home. For this activity you will need a paper roll, a pine cone, (you can go for a walk and try and find one, if not use 2 paper rolls), a stick, peanut butter and bird seed.

Spread peanut butter on the paper roll and the pine cone, this will work as glue for the seeds to stick on to. Roll the paper roll and pine cone on the seeds. Insert the stick into the paper roll and tie a knot to the pine cone and hang it from the stick. If you want to attract some fruit eaters add a piece of fruit on the ends of your stick. Cape White-eyes will love this! Tie a string from both ends of your stick and hang your bird feeder from a tree or balcony.