Jewish holidays provide lots of opportunities to welcome people into your home, but what about animals? You can extend the value of hachnasat orchim (welcoming guests) to animals too with an easy homemade bird feeder.
This kid-friendly project helps teach tza’ar ba’alei chayim (kindness to animals), and repurposing a milk carton reinforces the Jewish value of bal tashchit, not wasting. After you’ve hung your bird feeder outside, keep an eye on any activity and share photos of your feathered guests on Facebook or Instagram with #pjlibrary.
This Activity Works With These Books:
Supplies
- Empty milk carton
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Yarn
- Old pencil, chopstick, or other small stick
- Art supplies
- Bird seed
Directions
- Cut an opening in one side of the milk carton (this is a parent’s job).
- Punch a hole through the top of the carton and loop some yarn through it.
- For a perch, punch another hole just under the opening and fi t the pencil or chopstick in, taping to secure it if necessary.
- Decorate the outside of the bird feeder however you like.
- Pour some birdseed into the opening and hang the feeder outdoors.
More
6 Ways to Show Kindness to Animals
How to Make an Easy Sukkah Decoration That Doubles as a Bird Feeder
January 6, 2020