How to Get Kids Into Birding

Birding takes patience and constant self-education. This can be a challenge for kids, who like action and want to know things right away. You can get your children interested in bird watching by building up to the fun. Kids are naturally curious about the world around them, especially small creatures. Make them connect with birds as living things and they'll delight in observing them as you do.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Buy books that teach kids about birds. "Birdsong" by Audrey Wood introduces your child to birding through story and colorful illustrations. It'll make them want to listen to the bird songs too.

2. Print pictures of birds for your child to color. The Bird Coloring Book on the 50 Birds site (see link in Resources) gives the name of the bird on each page.

3. Play games with your children that help them identify bird species. On KidsCom you click on a question that gives valuable information about the bird species. At the same time, it fills in a detail from a hidden picture of the bird, giving a clue for your child to guess which one it is.

4. Build a feeder and bird bath with your child for your backyard. Make sure these projects come after you've educated your kids about birds so they're motivated to finish them.

5. Encourage your children to spend time in the backyard watching the activity at the feeder and bird bath. Teach them to be quiet and still so they don't scare the birds away. Tell them to imagine what's going on in the birds' mind or what he might be saying to other birds.

6. Get a pair of binoculars for your children. Keep them by the back door or window facing onto the backyard. Encourage them to spend time checking out backyard activity several times a day.

7. Provide your kids with a camera so they can take pictures of their favorite birds. This makes them real and gets them excited to expand their birding beyond the backyard.

Tips & Warnings

• Let them get as creative as they like in decorating the bird feeder and birdbath.
• Encourage your kids to connect with the birds by writing stories about them.
• Beware of lecturing your kids with any of these fun activities. You don't want birding to be like a school assignment. Keep it fun.

Resources

• Use coloring sheets to get kids into birding.
• Here's an online game to identify birds.