Pre-Writers Club: Bird Feeders

What you need:

• Pipe Cleaner

• String or ribbon

• Cheerios

This is a lovely activity to do in the Winter as the weather is getting colder and food for birds is becoming scarce. Threading the Cheerios on the pipe cleaner is a great way to practise the horizontal movement from the pre-writing shapes.

To make the bird feeder, start by looping the end of the pipe cleaner to stop the Cheerios from falling off.

Then thread the Cheerios on to the pipe cleaner, sliding them along to the end so that there is space to fit more on.

Continue threading the Cheerios until the pipe cleaner is almost full. I think Sophie ate more Cheerios than she threaded when we made these!

When the pipe cleaner is full, twist the two ends together and bend the wire into a heart shape. Tied some ribbon through the loop so that you can hang the bird feeder up.

Find a place to hang your bird feeders then keep and eye out for visitors!

Skills:

Pincer Grasp – Using the index finger and the thumb to pick up the Cheerios and slide them along the pipe cleaner strengthens the small muscles in their hands and is good practice for holding a pencil.

Hand-eye Co-ordination – Threading the Cheerios on to the pipe cleaner requires their eyes and hands to work together. This skill will help children to form letters when they write.

Top Tip - Encourage your child to move the Cheerios from left to right to help reinforce the movement patterns required for writing.