Building Bird Blinds
Fun for Kids!

Placing a bird feeder in your yard or school yard can provide lots of fun and entertainment, but only from a distance it seems. Getting close to the birds at your feeder can be a challenge. Birds are very wary and they often fly away as soon as they see you. The trick to viewing birds up close is to become invisible, and it is easier than you think!

Brother & sister Seth Wright and Jordyn Eggleston used brushed & sprayed paint, & a leaf-shaped stamp made from styrofoam to camouflage their blind.

You will need the following items:
• A cardboard box large enough for you to comfortably sit inside. (A box that a refrigerator, stove, or other large
appliance comes in will work well.)
• A pair of scissors.
• Green, brown, and black markers.
• A pillow to sit on.

1. Turn the box onto its side and crawl in the open end.

2. Decide which side of the box will be facing the feeder
and with your marker, draw a rectangle that will become your window.

3. With the help of an adult cut out the window with your scissors.

4. Camouflage the outside of the box by using your brown, black, and green markers to draw trees and bushes on the outside of the box. If you want to really be creative, have an adult help you hot glue leaves and sticks to the box to really make it blend in.

5. Position your new bird blind near the bird feeder, with your window facing the feeder so you get a good, unobstructed view.

6. Go get a snack, something to drink, your binoculars, field guide, and that pillow!

7. Crawl back into your new bird blind and quietly wait for the birds to come back. Be patient because it may take a few minutes for the birds to get used to the box being close to the feeder.

8. You can take a journal and some drawing pencils and sketch the birds you see to help you learn all of the markings that help make each bird different.

9. You can take a camera too. See how close you can get the box to the feeder to get some really close-up pictures.

Happy birding!