Bird Seed Circles

The basic idea

Get outside: into the garden, the park, anywhere with hungry birds! Start by exploring circles with your bodies – making circles in the air with your finger, your elbow, your toes, your bottom, even spin in circles! Then get out a tub of bird seed.

Over to you, wee one

Ask “I wonder if we could make circles with the bird seed?” and use your finger to swirl a circle in the tub. Your wee one might explore the textures in the tub, take handfuls and spin in circles as they throw them, or sprinkle a circle on the ground – explore the idea together.

Cheeky bonuses

• Understanding shapes
• Develops gross and fine motor skills
• You’re not making a mess, you’re feeding wildlife!

Variations

• Have tubs of seeds, oats and other bird friendly ingredients to pour and mix together
• Add an element of imaginative play: maybe you’re feeding Santa’s reindeer!
• Take some chalk and draw some of the movements on the path, then echo them with your movements – try squares, triangles, straight lines, whatever you fancy.

And remember…

Don’t expect perfection – your wee one may make circles, they may run around randomly at first. The important thing is you’re introducing the words and showing clear examples in a fun way.