Making a Bird Seed Wreath

Family Wildlife, Science, and Garden Fun

As autumn arrives and natural food for wildlife dwindles, feeding our garden birds becomes an important, joyful tradition. At our house, birdwatching is a year-round hobby—robins and blackbirds in winter, noisy wood pigeons, house sparrows, and even the occasional thrush through spring and summer. Sometimes, it feels like pigeon’s gobble everything first, but we’ve learned just how many smaller birds prefer picking grains from the ground. From blackbirds and finches to the cheery robin, there’s always something to see—and making bird seed wreaths is our favourite way to give back while enjoying family creativity!

Why Bird Feeders Matter (Especially in Autumn and Winter)

As cold weather sets in, birds rely on gardens and parks for high-energy food—especially seeds, berries, and fats. If you can grow berry bushes or wildlife-friendly plants, that’s brilliant! But even in small gardens (or on a balcony), simple hanging feeders or a homemade bird seed wreath gives birds vital calories for survival and attracts wonderful wildlife for children to study up close.

We also add water for drinking and washing—just a shallow tray with pebbles (to keep it in place), refreshed daily and kept ice-free in the cold months. This turns your yard into a real sanctuary for birds and growing scientists.

Making Your Own Bird Seed Wreath (Step-by-Step Family Project)

Our recipe is easy to adjust and a great hands-on job for kids of all ages:

You’ll need:

• 250g lard or vegetable shortening
• 250g mixed bird seed (sunflower seeds, oats, millet, etc)
• 100g grated cheese
• 100g raisins or sultanas (skip if you have pets)
• String, a big mixing bowl, tray, fridge, and some messy hands

How to make it:

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
• Form balls, then shape them into rings by poking your thumb through the middle.
• Keep the wreaths thick so they hold together when hanging.
• Pop each wreath onto a tray and chill in the fridge until set.
• Tie a sturdy string through the hole and hang it in a safe, sheltered spot.

Best spots to hang your wreath:

• Somewhere quiet (birds hate being disturbed)
• Out of reach of pets and away from busy paths
• Safe from predators—avoid dense bushes where cats may lurk
• With a view from your window for maximum observation

Sometimes it takes a day or two for birds to “find” the new food—but once they do, you’ll have repeat visitors all season.

Bird Science, Observation, and Discussion

Each feeder brings its own little world. Use Hands-On Education’s bird resources to identify visitors, compare their sizes, calls, and colours, and record what and how they eat. Turn every sighting into a science question:

• Which birds prefer seeds, which peck at cheese?
• Who visits first thing in the morning, and who sneaks in at dusk?
• Can your family identify omnivores, herbivores, or carnivores by watching feeding habits?
• Why do different beaks suit different foods?

Try the Bird Beak Investigation STEM activity for hands-on understanding of adaptation. Use posters and label sheets to compare feathered friends, or try your hand at feather painting—an art-meets-nature sensory bonus.

Create a Year-Round Bird-Friendly Garden

With winter’s scarcity, every feeder makes a difference. But bird-watching, feeder making, and wildlife study go beyond cold months.

• In spring and summer, birds bring their fledglings—observe feeding and family behaviour.
• Seasonal changes inspire learning—use Seasons to track bird sightings across months.
• Explore Microhabitats for broader wildlife context.

For a cross-curricular boost, explore Birds literacy for stories, poems, and observation logs, or Mammals, Amphibians, and Habitats for more animal science fun all year.

Safety and Supervision

Remind children to wash hands after making or hanging wreaths (as handling lard and raw seeds can be messy). Skip raisins/sultanas if your pets might be tempted, since dried fruit can be unsafe for dogs.

If your wreaths are finished by the birds or begin to get soggy, simply take them down, compost, and start anew.

Extra Support and Extension Ideas

Turn every feeder into a chance for creative extension:

• Start a nature journal, sketching each visitor or recording numbers by the hour.
• Set up a “feeder cam” (a smartphone, safely tucked nearby, works for quick video recording).
• Graph your findings: which birds visit most? Which foods disappear fastest?
• Link learning to BBC Bitesize’s bird page for interactive videos and activity sheets.

Closing Notes: Celebrate and Protect Local Wildlife

Making bird seed wreaths isn’t just an autumn craft—it’s an invitation to deeper science, nature connection, and family fun. With every project, your children become scientists, conservationists, and artists—building awareness and empathy for local wildlife.

Explore more with the Hands-On Education bird activities and the BBC Nature Explorer guides. Here’s to lots of winter birds, wagging tails, and flapping wings in every garden or park!