Create a bird and nest mobile using a wire hanger and construction paper. Have children cut out and color pictures of a nest and birds; draw the images for them, let them make their own or obtain a template of the images online. Use a green piece of construction paper to trace around the body of the hanger; cut it out so it is slightly larger than the hanger, then fold over the edges and tape them in place. Punch holes in the nest and bird pictures and through the green paper on the hanger. Tie a piece of string through each hole of the hanger then attach the nest and birds at the other end. The construction paper hanger will look like a tree and the nest and birds will appear to be sitting in the tree as they hang from each string.
Assist preschoolers in making their own edible bird nests using chocolate, peanut butter and chow mien noodles or corn flakes. Melt the chocolate and peanut butter together in the microwave or a double boiler and mix in chow mien noodles or corn flakes; use caution if allowing children to assist with handling hot ingredients. Scoop spoonfuls of the mixture onto foil; press a fingerprint in the middle of each mound to create a space for bird eggs. Fill the holes with jelly beans, malt balls or other egg-shaped candies.
Make a paper bag nest with a simple lunch-size paper bag. Cut the top three-fourths of the bag off, leaving a small base for the nest; crunch up the base to give it texture. Cut the top part of the bag in thin strips and glue the strips around the paper bag nest to create the look of twigs. Fill the nests with green Easter grass or artificial moss. Allow your preschoolers to fill their nests with plastic eggs; decorated, hard-boiled eggs; or marshmallow baby chicks.
Just like many birds in nature, preschoolers can make a nest using scavenged and recycled materials, both natural and man-made. Have the kids search the outdoors for sticks, leaves, twigs and a small bucket of mud. From indoors they will need small pieces of cloth, cotton balls and string. Cut off the top half of a full-size paper bag and roll the sides down to create a paper bowl. Cover the bowl with mud and, while it's still wet, layer on the sticks, leaves and twigs on the inside and outside of the paper bowl. Add more mud on top of the organic material and, finally, layer on the man-made materials. Put the nest outdoors after it has dried and see if a real bird will claim its new home.