Northern Flicker, William Pond Recreation Area by Gesna Clarke
Planting seeds in kids to recognize, respect and appreciate nature begins at an early age and in your own backyard. Kids are naturally curious; so what better place than the backyard to start a conversation about birds and ways to create and maintain a healthy and safe environment for local birds who consider your yard their home or birds who drop by during seasonal migration.
Prepare a birding tool kit that includes binoculars, pencils, note and sketch pads, and birding field or activity guide to help your kids get started.
Below are a few recommended field and activity guides for kids of different ages.
Backyard Birding for Kids by Fran Lee
Audubon Birding Adventures for Kids: activities and Ideas for Watching, Feeding and Housing our Feathered Friends by Elissa Wolfson
The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of North America ( Peterson Field Guides) by Roger Tory Peterson
Bird Log, a kids’ journal to record their birding experience by De Anna Brandt
Help your kids learn to respect birds and their habitat. One example is by modeling how to quietly observe a bird’s behavior from a distance, so the bird is not frightened and flies away.
Work with your kids and explore ways to support birds who live in or stopover at your backyard.
Build a birdhouse or bird feeder
Identify a corner in the yard to start a kids’ native plant garden. The garden will attract more birds to the yard
Build a DIY water source in one or two locations in your backyard.
What other things can you and your kids do to create a bird friendly community in your own backyard? Put on your thinking cap and start planting those seeds to introduce your kids to the wonderful world of birding!