January Grab & Go Craft: Snowy Owls!

Make a Snowy Owl Pine Cone! Kits are available Monday, January 18 through Saturday, January 23 while supplies last. Find them in our NEW Creation Station (*hint* it’s green!) located outside the front door.

1. Take apart the cotton and stuff smaller pieces of cotton inside the pinecone to make the owl’s soft downy feathers. 
2. Make the owl’s beak by cutting a small felt triangle. 
3. Make the owl’s eyes by cutting 2 small round circles of felt. Peel off the googly eyes sticker and place them onto the felt. 
4. Make the owl’s wings by cutting out two small wing shapes. You can add dark barring marks if you wish.
5. The beak, eyes, and wings can be tucked into the pinecones without glue, but adding a touch of glue can help them to stay more secure. 
6. You can add feet to your owls using felt, leaves, or wooden twigs.
7. Look outside to find more natural items you can add to your owls. 
8. Give your owl a name and send us a picture! youthservices@deerfieldlibrary.org

Whooo loves owls? We do! Owls are found in all sorts of habitats, including dense forests, wood lots, swamps, marshes, grasslands, and maybe even in your backyard! There are more than 200 species of owls worldwide. 

Snowy owls are the largest (by weight) North American owl, and their breeding grounds are in the Arctic. They can be seen in our area in Illinois during their spring and fall migrations. When they are young, snowy owls are barred with dark brown. If you want your owl to be a young owlet, add some brown stripes to the wings. Females keep some dark markings even as adults, but the whitest birds–including Harry Potter’s Hedwig–are always males. 

Awesome Owl Quests: 

1. Take a listen to a snowy owl’s call. Can you imitate these sounds? Which family member sounds most like a bird?
2. The stars of the wild birds webcam are a pair of Barred Owls that live nearby in Indiana. Take a look at the Cornell Lab to peek into their nest! What do you see?
3. Play Bird Bingo as a family.
4. Learn how to draw a snowy owl.
5. Read a book about owls. Here are some suggestions:

Baby Owls by Martin Waddell

The Capture by Kathryn Lasky

Eva’s Treetop Festival by Rebecca Elliot

Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli

Otis the Owl by Mary Holland

Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Snowy Owl Invasion by Sandra Markle