Written by guest author, Karen Rutherford
In this article, we will give you a couple of great tips for introduce birding to kids! We made a list with tips and activities to introduce your kids to bird watching, and we believe that they are going to like it!
Observing and watching different kinds of birds with millions of different colors can be a great educational outdoor wildlife activity for young as well as elders.
Birdwatching is a fantastic way to learn about wildlife both at home and out in the wild. The best thing is to allow your children to view birds with their naked eyes, binoculars, and telescopes and by that to learn about the amazing world of birds.
8 tips to make birding for kids easy and fun!
1. Go for a bird walk!
Birding is an excellent reason to go for a walk. Even if they are hesitant walkers, many children are willing to take on a birding challenge.
In case your kid is not interested in going out and explore in nature, you can find a couple of interesting books with stories that are related to this activity, and we can assure you that it will make your kids obsessed with bird watching.
2. Try and make your own pair of binoculars
DIY “binoculars” are a great way to get kids interested in birds. Give them simple items to work with and watch how they approach the activity or maybe just give them clear instructions to follow.
Components needed for making the binoculars:
- Toilet paper rolls that have been left over
- Glue or tape
- Hole punch
- String (yard, ribbon, twine, whatever you have around)
- Colored pencils, colored paper, and any additional art supplies
3. Make a bird-watching area
All you need is a window or a peaceful place outside. Of course, you can add binoculars and an observation notebook or checklist to make it feel more professional. With this activity, you will teach your children to be patient, observe, and write on their observations.
Read more about inviting birdwatching with an indoor birdwatching station here.
4. Drawing birds
Birding and scientific sketching are closely linked. Begin with a beginner’s guide on drawing a bird. Then have the children pick a bird they observed and sketch it. After that, they can write descriptive sentences for all the things that they saw.
5. Observing the nests of birds
If you have the luck to find a bird’s nest and observe it, do it for sure. Observing a bird’s nest can be a very fun activity to do with the kids, but as we said it is pretty hard to find one. In case you cannot find one, you can show them a picture on the internet or maybe find a book with this kind of content.
For the kids to love this even more, you could encourage them to try to make their own life-sized nest out of branches and stuff found in your yard.
6. Take a look at what the birds have left behind
Being a bird detective is a great activity for kids. Even if you can’t locate any birds, youngsters may look for some clues, such as cracked seeds, fallen feathers, prints in mud and snow, as well as nests or discarded egg shells.
7. Use a birding phone app
There are a variety of bird identification and checklist applications available that youngsters like using. With this kind of app, you can put all the gear in your pocket. Apps like this offer in-depth information and bird identification, field guides, as well as observation recordings.
8. Put up a bird feeder
Making and hanging a bird feeder can be a quick way to learn about the many types of birds that exist in your area. By bringing the birds into your own yard you’ll bring birding for kid right to your own backyard.
When you’re observing with your kids which birds feed at your feeder, it’s a good idea to keep a little book of birds beside you so you can look up what sort of birds actually live around afterward.
How Long Does it Take For Birds to Find a Bird Feeder?
There is actually no time limit for a bird to find a bird feeder. But, 10 days is the average (ranging from 5 to 18 days) according to several studies.
What Season is Best to start birding with kids?
When birds are most active, between dawn and 11 a.m., is probably the greatest time to go birding. This is especially true in the spring and early summer, when birds may be heard singing early in the morning. (On cloudy and rainy days, birds may be more active and sing for longer periods of time.)
Final Words Introducing Bird-Watching To Kids:
In conclusion, it’s nice to remember that watching birds and learning about them is not the same as homework or making the bed for your kids. Your job is to keep it as fun as possible, so your kids can keep their interest.
You must accept that and work with it. Bird watching is a great way to calm down and relax. Also, being outside in nature is healthy for your kids and gives them the opportunity to connect with it.
We hope that these tips will help you to introduce your kids to bird watching and make them love nature and birds even more.
Other Bird Articles you’ll want to check out:
Written by Karen Rutherford
Founder and editor in chief at Cakedecorist.You will often find Karen in the kitchen trying out some new recipes. As a pâtissière and baking enthusiast, Karen has decided to share her knowledge with the internet audience and provide the best tips and recipes for baking and decorating your favorite sweets.
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