Cheap and Free Crafts to Keep Kids Entertained this Summer

August 25, 2023

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Cheap and Free Crafts to Keep Kids Entertained this Summer

For many parents, the summer holidays can be expensive, with entertaining during the break expected to set parents back a staggering £200, a survey cited in The Express revealed. Further to this, 64% were concerned about how they will balance the heightened costs of having their children at home for the summer with less disposable income to keep them entertained. With money feeling tighter than ever for many, as the cost-of-living crisis has forced millions of us to tighten our purse strings, birdwatching app, Birda, unveils their guide to making easy cost effective crafts, fostering a healthy mindset for curiosity while helping Brits keep their holiday spend down this summer through DIY crafts.

1. Hanging Birdseed Ornaments

Hanging Birdseed Ornaments

What you will need:

Scrap Cardboard Box
Colouring Pens/Crayons/Paint/Decorative bits
Shape to cut around or cookie cutter
Scissors
Holepunch
String/Ribbon
Peanut Butter
Child-friendly cutting tool
Flat dish or tin
Birdseed

Step 1
Get a shape to cut around, you can use a heart-shaped tin and an old CD if you have them laying around.

Step 2
Decorate one side with anything you like. Consider some colouring, some glitter glue and some stickers for extra fun.

Step 3
Punch a hole in the top and thread through a length of string long enough to hang from the branch of a tree or bush. About 60cm works for a hanging length of 30cm.

Step 4
Paste a thin layer of peanut butter on the non-decorated side. A ‘no salt no sugar’ brand will be much better for our feathered friends! Put some birdseed into a flat dish or tin and place the cardboard shape, peanut butter side down to coat in seed. If you don’t have any birdseed, you can create your own with any of the following ingredients:

Sunflower seeds – the most popular choice for many birds so make sure this is the largest quantity in your mix
Unsalted peanuts – crushed up will stick better to the cardboard
Cracked corn
Dried fruit
Uncooked porridge oats

Step 5
Hang your ornament from the branch of a tree and wait for the birds to come!

2. Tin Can Bird Feeder

Tin Can Bird Feeder DIY

What you will need:

Tin Cans
Paint
Glue
Wooden dowel or lollipop stick
Ribbon
Birdseed

Step 1
Clean out your tin can and make sure that the label is removed and that the cut edge is not sharp. Paint the base and outer edges of the can. It will need a couple of coats. If you want the paint to stick better then you could even use a basecoat of oil based primer or undercoat.

Step 2
Add some decoration to your cans, we kept it simple with coloured spots.
Hang your ornament from the branch of a tree and wait for the birds to come!

Step 3
Use lollipop sticks or some wooden dowel sticks to create a perch for the birds to land on. Glue this to the inside of the can. We used a hot glue gun so make sure an adult does this part!

Step 4
Using a hammer and a nail, punch two holes in the top of the can to tie your string. We tied separate lengths of string so that the feeder can be hung at an angle to ensure that the seed doesn’t fall out.

Step 5
Put some bird seed into the bottom of the can – remember you can make your own if you want to – and then find a good place to hang them. We made an addition to one of our cans to add a plastic lip to stop the seed falling out. You can take a plastic yoghurt pot lid and cut a hole in it to fit over the lollipop stick then we cut around the can to create the shape. You could secure it in place with some glue too if you want to make it extra secure.
Not five minutes after we’d hung them and we spotted a cheeky squirrel coming to investigate! Now we need to keep a close eye out for some birds and, of course, chase the squirrels away.

About Birda:
Birda – an innovative birdwatching app for curious people who want to deepen their connection with the outdoors – aims to create an inclusive community to experience, enjoy, and protect the nature and wildlife wherever you are. Whether you live in the countryside or in the city, Birda allows users to explore and appreciate the nature that surrounds them through a free, easy-to-use tool for logging the birdlife around you – all you have to do is head out and look up.

John and Natalie White, Birda Co-Founder’s, discuss the launch of the app:
“Our mission is to promote the enjoyment and appreciation of birdwatching as a means of connecting people with nature. We believe that people need to experience the natural world before they fight to protect it. We believe that nature is for everyone, and we know that spending time connecting with it makes people happier and healthier. Whether you’re a seasoned birdwatcher or just starting out, we want everyone to feel included and welcomed.

“Having worked for two large multinationals, I realized that corporate life was not what I wanted. Together, Natalie and I had an idea to turn our passion for wildlife and the outdoors into a business. We launched our first website and mobile app in 2013 for users to share their wildlife sightings from parks and reserves across Southern Africa. Life’s been an epic adventure ever since, and I look forward to continuing it with Birda.” – John White, Birda Co-Founder.

“The healing power of nature was paramount in getting me through my struggles with cancer. It’s motivated me to do more to protect our natural world, inspire others to do the same, and leave a legacy for my daughters.” – Natalie White, Birda Co-Founder.