When we think of spring, we immediately picture the weather getting warmer, flowers beginning to bloom, trees budding with green leaves, and new life starting everywhere. And yes, the unmistakable soundtrack of the season: the cheep-cheep of baby birds hatching in our backyards!
Spring is the perfect season to introduce children to the wonders of ornithology (the study of birds) through creativity. Whether you are a teacher planning a classroom theme, a parent looking for a rainy-day activity, or a caregiver wanting to celebrate National Bird Day, this guide is for you.
Below, we have curated a massive collection of 50 easy spring bird crafts for kids. From exotic toucans and majestic peacocks to the humble backyard robin, these crafts utilize simple household materials like paper plates, cardboard tubes, and egg cartons.
Let’s spread our wings and dive into the colorful world of bird crafting!
Why Bird Crafts are Perfect for Child Development
Before we get to the glue and glitter, it’s important to understand why these activities are so beneficial. Crafting isn’t just about making something pretty; it’s a developmental powerhouse.
- Fine Motor Skills: Cutting paper feathers, pinching googly eyes, and threading yarn for bird feeders helps strengthen small hand muscles.
- Nature Connection: These crafts provide an opening to talk about different species, migration, and habitats.
- Eco-Consciousness: Many of these crafts use recycled materials, teaching kids that trash can be turned into treasure.
Fun Bird-Themed Activities to Do in Spring
While crafting is a huge part of the fun, pair your art sessions with these real-world activities to make the learning stick:
- DIY Birdhouses: Build simple shelters so birds have a place to rest in the heat.
- Hydration Stations: Set out little water bowls or birdbaths so birds can refresh themselves.
- Birdwatching: Grab a pair of binoculars and a local guidebook to identify the birds living in your region.
- Reading Time: Watch documentaries or read books like Are You My Mother? or Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Category 1: The Paper Plate Aviary
Paper plates are a staple in any craft cupboard. Their round shape makes them perfect for bird bodies!
1. The Rocking Spring Robin: Fold a paper plate in half. Paint it brown with a red breast. Add a beak and tail. When you tap it, the bird rocks back and forth! 2. The Paper Plate Peacock: Cut a plate in half. Use the rim to glue on vibrant green and blue sequins or paper feathers. Attach a blue body in the center. 3. The Toucan Artist: Use a paper plate for the body and cut a large, distinct beak shape from cardstock. Let the kids go wild coloring the beak with rainbows. 4. Fluffy White Swan: Glue white cotton balls all over a paper plate to create the texture of a swan. Add a long white neck cut from construction paper. 5. Sleeping Owl: Paint a plate brown. Fold the sides in for wings and the top down for the head. Add big yellow eyes. 6-10. Rapid Fire Ideas: Bluebird with tissue paper collage, Paper plate Dove for peace, Yellow Canary suncatchers (cut the center out), Red Cardinal using handprints for wings, and a Mama Bird in a nest (using half a plate as the nest).
Category 2: Exotic Birds (Parrots, Flamingos & Toucans)
Bring the tropics to your living room with these bright and bold crafts.
11. Handprint Flamingos: Pink paint is essential here! Paint your child’s hand pink and stamp it on paper. The thumb becomes the neck/head, and the fingers are the feathers. Draw long legs underneath.
12. The Toilet Roll Parrot: Save those cardboard tubes! Paint a tube bright red or green. Cut multi-colored feathers from construction paper and glue them to the back. Add a beak and googly eyes. This is a great 3D craft that stands up on its own.
13. Cupcake Liner Toucan: Flatten a black cupcake liner for the body and a white one for the eye patch. Cut a large beak from yellow paper and color the tip black. It’s a simple collage perfect for toddlers.
14. Coffee Filter Peacock: This is a science experiment and craft in one. Color a coffee filter with washable blue and green markers. Spray it with water and watch the colors bleed (tie-dye effect). Once dry, this becomes the peacock’s tail fan.
15-20. More Tropical Ideas: Macaw paper bag puppets, yarn-wrapped parrots, foam cup tropical birds, pipe cleaner feet flamingos, thumbprint hummingbirds, and popsicle stick parakeets.
Category 3: Easter & Farmyard Bird
Spring and Easter go hand-in-hand. Here is how to use those seasonal items.
21. Plastic Egg Birds: Easter comes with Easter eggs, and if you’re wondering what to do with the extra ones lying around, turn them into birds! Use hot glue (adult supervision required) or tacky glue to attach felt wings, a beak, and googly eyes to the plastic egg. They wobble and look adorable.
22. Cotton Ball Chicks: A classic for a reason. Dip a cotton ball in yellow powdered paint (or buy yellow pom-poms). Glue them to green paper and add orange paper beaks.
23. The Egg Carton Hen: Cut a single cup from an egg carton. Paint it white or rust-colored. Add a red comb on top and a yellow beak. These make cute placeholders for the dinner table.
24. Handprint Chicken: Similar to the flamingo, but use white paint. Turn the thumb into the chicken’s head with a red wattle.
25-30. Farm Ideas: Paper plate ducklings, fuzzy yarn chicks, rooster collage using dried corn and beans, footprint ducks, shredded paper nests with pom-pom eggs, and hatching chick crafts (using a brad pin to make the egg open and close).
Category 4: Recycled Material Bird Crafts
Teach sustainability by using what you have.
31. The Milk Carton Birdhouse: Take an empty, clean milk or juice carton. Cut a hole in the side. Let the kids paint the outside and glue on twigs for a rustic roof. Fill with birdseed and hang it up!
32. CD Owls: Have old scratched CDs? Their shiny surface makes cool feathers. Glue felt eyes and a beak onto the center of the CD. Hang them in the garden to scare away pests (and look pretty!).
33. Bottle Cap Bluebirds: Save blue plastic bottle caps. Glue them to a piece of paper and draw legs and a beak. You can make a whole flock sitting on a drawn wire.
34. Bubble Wrap Prints: Paint a piece of bubble wrap yellow or blue. Press it onto paper to create a textured “feather” look, then cut out bird shapes from that paper.
35-40. Eco-Friendly Ideas: Toilet roll binoculars (for birdwatching!), nature collage birds using real leaves for wings, pinecone snowy owls (stuff cotton between scales), newspaper decoupage birds, tin can penguins, and cardboard box eagle wings (for dress-up).
Category 5: Interactive & Educational Bird Activities
Crafts that you can play with or learn from.
41. Bird Sudoku: The easiest way to have fun with birds this spring is with a printable game. Create or download a simple 4×4 Sudoku grid using pictures of birds (Owl, Parrot, Duck, Robin) instead of numbers. It teaches logic and species recognition.
42. The Finger Puppet Bird: Cut two holes in the bottom of a cardstock bird shape. Your child puts their fingers through the holes to become the “legs” and walks the bird around.
43. DIY Bird Feeders: Coat a pinecone in peanut butter (or vegetable shortening if allergies exist) and roll it in birdseed. Tie a string and hang it. Watching real birds eat from a craft is magical for kids.
44. Orange Peel Feeder: Hollow out half an orange. Poke three holes near the rim, thread twine through to make a hanger, and fill the orange cup with seed.
45-50. Play & Learn: Bird masks using paper plates and feathers, “Feed the Bird” sensory bin (tweezers and worms), bird matching memory game cards, drawing tutorials, origami cranes, and a bird-watching journal cover.
3 Tips for a Successful Crafting Session
- Prep Ahead: If working with younger kids, pre-cut the intricate shapes (like beaks and feet) so they can focus on the gluing and decorating.
- Embrace the Mess: Birds are messy (feathers everywhere!), and crafts should be too. Lay down newspaper for easy cleanup.
- Let Them lead: If a child wants to make a purple chicken or a green flamingo, let them! Creativity encourages cognitive growth.
Conclusion
From the tropical rainforests to the local farmyard, birds offer an endless source of inspiration for art. These 50 easy spring bird crafts are designed to spark curiosity and joy in children of all ages.
Whether you are making a plastic egg bird to recycle Easter decorations or building a milk carton birdhouse to help your local wildlife, you are creating memories that last. So, gather your supplies, open a window to hear the real birds singing, and get crafting!
Happy Spring and Happy Crafting!