Hummingbird Feeders

After being in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado with my family, I realized that I was missing a HUGE opportunity for my kids to be a bit closer to nature here in the Chicago burbs. Why not let them help me fill the hummingbird feeders!!!!!

Awesome opportunity to give them an understanding of how birds find food, give them new vocabulary words with meanings, and let them practice colors, mixing, watching sugar dissolve, and of course helping our local bird population!



There were so many little birds dive bombing us, it was amazing. If you were patient enough you could get one to perch on your finger. My husband's amazing aunt has my daughter showing her the hummingbirds up close!!! So Cool!!!!

I use a 4:1 ration. 1 cup of water to 1/4 cup of sugar.
We heated the water in the microwave for about a minute - not boiling - just hot enough to dissolve the sugar.

I let one kiddo add a few drops of red food coloring and the other got to stir. They loved watching the drops take over the entire container.

I showed my two kids the funnel. Now that's a fun word to get a 2 1/2 year old and 15 month old to say. We giggled more that got it out but it was fun! I let the little one hold the funnel and asked my son to pour the red sugar water into the feeder.  We talked about how red and other bright colors attract birds and bugs as well as what birds eat. It was a great conversation!


       

We have the most amazing bay window that the kids can sit inside. This is the best place to watch our little feathered friends. Now its not the best place to attract them so I need to get a few placed around our garden. We do have amazing flowers planted by the previous owners to attract hummingbirds, so we have a good start!!!

I made a second batch to keep in the fridge as a refill - this is what I could take photos of as my hands were helping prevent spills the first go around :)