Preschool Activity & Perky Pet Bird Feeder Review

My grandpa was my hero.  I wanted to be just like him.  I loved to learn from him and about the things he enjoyed.  One of his loves was bird watching. 

Grandpa always had a variety of feeders outside the house in strategic places.  He would sit on the other side of the window and watch the birds visit.  He could tell me each type of bird as it came.  I loved sitting with him to learn about the birds.

I want my children to develop a love of birds as well.  We started a "bird watching room" this summer so I could sit down with a cup of coffee and relax while watching the birds.  Recently we had the opportunity to try out a Perky-Pet bird feeder.

It arrived during nap time and I decided to put it back in the box to use as a family fun/preschool activity later in the day.  The boys were very excited about opening the surprise package.

They inspected the packaging, Monkey took the front and Crackers checked out the writing on the back.  I was surprised about the size of this feeder, I really expected it to be smaller.

We did some comparison for size.  It is smaller than both of the boys.  They measured the size with their bodies.  The bird feeder goes up to the top of Cracker's belly, but only to Monkey's waist.

Monkey checked out the weight.  It was not too heavy for him to lift by himself.

Next we checked out the mechanics.  This bird feeder is supposed to be squirrel proof.  See how there are openings for beaks in the top picture.  When just enough pressure is applied, the openings close tightly so little paws cannot steal the food.  Monkey was especially impressed by this feature and had to try it out a few times.  I like it that he's working on exploring mechanics.

More mechanisms - Crackers checked out the hinged lid.  He loved opening and closing it.  It seems easy to open, I wondered for a moment if a squirrel might be able to get into it that way.  I think that once the handle is up to hang it, there won't be enough room for anything to pester it.

We added the weather guards.  These keep snow and/or rain out of the seed.  I'm not sure which we're going to experience THIS week, the snow melted today.  I wonder what will be next.

Now, for some motor skills - the boys practiced scooping and pouring.  I think this might have been their favorite part. 

We moved the feeder to our front yard (not yet by the bird watching room).  The boys admired their work.  Before next week we will be printing a list of local birds and help the boys identify them as they visit our feeder.  We'll be marking our visitors off as they stop by.

The Perky-Pet Fortress Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder is incredibly well built.  It looks nice; and is sturdy, in fact it comes with a lifetime warranty!  I look forward to watching the birds visit our feeder for years to come, and will gladly seek out other Perky-Pet products for our home.

Do you have a bird-watching memory?  

How do you encourage your young children to learn about nature?

What skills do you practice when teaching your children about nature (evaluation, comparison, scooping, etc)?

Have you heard of Perky-Pet Bird Feeders before?

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  I received a product for the purpose of review.  All opinions and ideas are my own.