Learn about birds with activities to try at home

Spring has sprung! Along with more hours of sunshine and warmer weather, spring also means the return of lots of feathered friends. Kiddos are naturally fascinated by birds, and giving them more opportunities to learn about them can kickstart a love of nature and biology. We’ve gathered some fun (and easy) bird activities for kids that will help foster their interest in their friendly bird buddies and encourage a love of the outdoors.

Bird activities for kids

One great way to help kids learn more about birds is to attract them to your outdoor space with feeders, birdbaths, and birdhouses. Here are a few ideas for you and your little one to try:

• Paint pre-made birdhouses and hang them on a tree or fence.
• Hang hummingbird feeders on a porch or a balcony. Have your little one help make the recipe (1 cup water, ¼ cup white sugar) to fill the feeder.
• Install a birdbath in your yard. Keep binoculars by a window so your kiddo can get a close-up view of your feathered visitors when they come by to take a dip!
• Work together to make a recipe of homemade suet to hang on trees.
• Hang a seed feeder near a window. Kids can scoop up the seeds when the feeder needs to be refilled.
• Have your kiddo help smear bark butter on nearby trees to attract woodpeckers and other insect-loving birds.

Borrow bird books from the library

Visiting the library is always tons of fun for kiddos, and it’s a perfect way to encourage them to learn more about things that interest them. Borrow some books about birds that can help you identify some of the feathered friends your little one sees nibbling at your bird feeders, taking a dip in your birdbath, or hanging out in the trees at the park. It becomes a super-fun scavenger hunt, and your kiddo is sure to be excited when they spot a new bird they haven’t seen before. You can even make a list together to see how many species of birds you’ve managed to spot!

Getting a storybook or two about birds is another way to spark your kiddo’s interest. Browse the kid’s section together and see how many books you can spot with a bird on the cover, then choose a few to take home and read. Most libraries have some quiet reading nooks, so you can even spend the afternoon reading a few books at the library together before grabbing more books to take home. The more books, the better!