How to Make a Cardinal Bird for Preschool

Preschoolers can make a simple cardinal craft for school, home or church.

The cardinal is a famous bird for its bright red appearance. Cardinals are also a popular name in sports, with "Cardinal" baseball and basketball teams across the United States. The bird is native to the region between New England all the way to the Great Plains. Preschoolers can make a cardinal craft to accompany a lesson about the cardinal or other birds.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Red paper
• Orange paper
• Scissors
• Red feathers
• Glue stick
• Crayons
• Old CDs (optional)

1. Cut out the shape of the cardinal for each preschooler ahead of time. Also, cut out two wings for each bird from red paper and a beak and two feet from orange paper.

2. Give each child two wings, two feet and one beak. Allow the children to glue the parts onto the birds with a glue stick. Instruct the children to give the cardinal eyes with a crayon.

3. Give each child several red feathers. Instruct the children to glue the feathers to the cardinal along the wings and tail for a more realistic look.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also use a CD as the body for the bird for a more cartoon-like cardinal. Cover the CD with red paper and glue feathers to either side for wings. Glue on a beak and feet and draw on two eyes with crayons. This is a fun way to use up old, scratched CDs.

References

• Audubon: Northern Cardinal
• All Kids Network: Bird With Feathers