Have the children create winter birds such as the blue jay and the cardinal, both among the most recognizable winter birds in American forests. Provide each child with two foam balls to paint blue or red, and a wooden barbecue skewer. When the balls are dry, break skewers in half and stick the painted foam balls onto one half skewer, so that one sits on top of the other. Trim off the top of the skewer if it peeks out over the top foam ball. Using the other half skewer, help the kids poke eyes in the top ball. Provide blue and red feathers so that the kids can stick wings and a tail into the bottom ball. Break the other half skewer in half and stick it into the bottom ball to create legs. Glue googly eyes and a triangle beak on the birds.
Have the children create bird-watching binoculars out of toilet paper rolls. Allow the children to decorate two toilet paper rolls with paint and glitter, being careful not to crush them. Squeeze a strip of strong glue down the side of one of the rolls and press the two rolls together. Hole punch the outer edges of each roll to attach a string of yarn, so that the children can hang their binoculars around their neck. Take the children for a nature walk if possible to see if they can spot any birds. Another craft the children can do is to create craft stick bird houses, complete with snow. Have the children glue two crafts sticks down on construction paper to create a square. Use two other craft sticks to create a triangle roof. Give the children cotton balls to cover the roof craft sticks to represent snow, and have them draw a bird in the middle of the birdhouse.
Have the children create a bird feeder for the winter birds to enjoy. One idea for a feeder is a pine cone feeder. Help the children each find one pine cone outside. Bring in a jar of peanut butter and bird seeds. Allow the children to dip craft sticks into the peanut butter and smear it onto their pine cones. Pour bird seed into a bowl and have the students roll their pine cone in the seeds. Tie a string to the pine cones and help the children hang their pine cones on low branches. Try to select trees that are visible from your classroom so that the kids can see the birds coming to eat.
Another bird feeder you can make is a bagel wreath feeder. Coat the bagel with peanut butter and press sugar-free dried cranberries or raisins in the peanut butter. Sprinkle it with birdseed and attach it to the trees with string.
Have the children draw a large circle on construction paper to create paper nests, and then spread glue all around the outer perimeter of their circle. Dump a pile of brown strips on top of each child's paper and press the strips on the paper. Shake the excess off. Tell the students to draw eggs in the middle of the circle.
Another idea is to have the children draw pictures of the woods in the wintertime, using plain pencil. Then have them cut out colorful winter birds they have learned about from construction paper to paste into the scene. To make the birds stand out even more, use glitter in the colors of the bird they are learning about.