23 Apr Bird Builds a Nest – Beginner STEM
Here’s a recommended book and activity to do with older toddlers and preschoolers!
Bird Builds a Nest by Martin Jenkins is a beautifully illustrated story. In it, bird gathers sticks and twigs to make a nest, weaving them into place, then finding grass and feathers to make the inside soft for five beautiful eggs. It stands alone as a wonderful book about birds and nests. Ask library staff to help you find the book, or put a copy on hold if it’s already checked out.
But it’s also a book about basic forces in the First Science Storybook series. As bird makes her nest, we see gravity, pushing and pulling, heavy and light, etc. Science is gently woven into the story.
After you read the book, go on a fun ‘science wander.’ Compare things – which rock is the heaviest? Do we turn the fan on by pulling or pushing the button? Drop a pencil the way bird drops a twig, and see what happens… why?
Maybe you can walk around a park looking for a real bird nest to admire. They are amazing! Different kinds of birds make different kinds of nests, and their eggs look different too. If you’d like to know more, Birds, Nests, and Eggs is an interesting and accessible book to look at.
