A Squirrel Feeder for Winter

Here is an activity for the older children (8 and up) in your care.

[20 Minutes]

Squirrels enjoy corn, but will happily eat a wide variety of seeds, nuts, tree buds, flowers, mushrooms and the occasional bird egg or baby bird. They are glad to eat leftover "people food," such as stale bread, cereal or snack foods. Like all rodents, their front teeth or incisors, keep growing all their lives, since they get worn down from gnawing hard food. Squirrels do not hibernate through the winter, but come out to eat every day, even in the coldest weather. They build large cozy nests of leaves and twigs, which you can see high in the tops of trees. Their nests are lined with soft material, such as bird feathers, plant down or fur. If you brush a long-haired dog outside, the fur may well end up keeping adult squirrels warm in winter or baby squirrels dry during summer rains. Make a backyard feeder and have fun watching the squirrels with the children in your care.

You'll need:

• long nail • scrap of wood • dried feed corn • screw eye • hammer (ADULTS ONLY) • piece of rope

What to do:

1. If possible, print out these directions. Read them through with your children before you begin.
2. With your children, gather everything you'll need.
3. Take the screw eye and screw it into the top of the piece of scrap wood.
4. Help your children attach a piece of rope to the screw eye.
5. Hammer (adults only) a long nail into the scrap of wood so that several inches of the nail stick out through the back of the wood.
6. Show your children how to poke the nail through an ear of dried feed corn.

How to use:

Together, choose a viewing spot, hang the feeder on a tree, and watch the squirrels come to lunch, younger children will also enjoy wayching the squirrels.

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• Why do you think we make separate feeders for birds and squirrels?
• Why do you think it is important to leave food for the animals in winter?
• Where should we hang this feeder?

Useful information:

Squirrel feeders help reduce competition at your bird feeders. Offer squirrels different foods than the birds. Remember to keep the squirrel feeder in a different location than bird feeders. If you keep the squirrel feeder full, this will help prevent the squirrels from eating the bird food. Now you can enjoy both the squirrels and the birds knowing both will be fed during the winter and early spring.