Fun Bird Activities for Kids

These bird activities for kids are a great way to make science fun.

Birds are beautiful, amazing animals. They stop and feed in our backyards and fill the trees with song. With over 10,000 bird species around the globe, there’s a whole lot to discover about our bird friends.

The best way to help kids learn Ornithology is to make your lessons as interactive as possible. Just add some of these hands-on-activities to your bird study to get everyone excited about these flying creatures.

Small white crane walking in the grass.

Bird Activities for Kids

Whether your tweens have a love of birds or happens to be the subject of your current educational activities, these ideas will give kids a solid understanding of various birds. Plus, they’re so much fun!

Keep in mind that you don’t have to limit your lessons on birds to science class.

Make it a whole bird unit study by using these creatures as inspiration in their art projects or adding them to your geography lessons to look at the subject from a unique point of view.

Learning About Birds

One of the great things about teaching kids about birds is that there are so many different birds out in the wild. This means that there are plenty of opportunities for kids to learn about various features, behaviors, and ecology.

A great place to start is by becoming a bird watcher in your local area. You can watch for birds while on a creative nature walk.

Birds can also get kids excited to learn about other aspects of nature, such as climate and environment. By integrating bird education into your science curriculum, you can help kids develop a love and appreciation for the natural world.

As you study birds, encourage your tweens to discover the similarities and differences between them. Look at their habitats. Listen to their calls and see if you can figure out who is making what sound. Learn to identify a bird from its markings and colorful feathers.

There is so much you can learn just by observing them.

Birds are fascinating creatures, and students will enjoy exploring all that they have to offer. Aside from learning some cool facts, your tween might just uncover a new lifelong passion along the way.

Bird Facts for Kids

Birds are found all over the world. They come in all shapes and sizes, and each one has its own unique set of characteristics.

It can be fun to learn about them as part of a science curriculum, because there are so many interesting facts about them.

Here are ten that your tween may enjoy:

  1. Birds are some of the oldest creatures on Earth, with some species dating back to the time of the dinosaurs.
  2. Birds have incredible vision, and can see colors that humans cannot.
  3. Some birds can see ultraviolet light.
  4. Many birds can fly long distances, and some can even fly up to 100 mph!
  5. Some birds, like parrots, are able to mimic human speech.
  6. Birds play an important role in the environment, helping to control pests and pollinate plants.
  7. Some birds can dive more than three hundred feet below the surface of the water to catch fish.
  8. Some birds can swim, while others cannot.
  9. Birds have a good sense of smell.
  10. Birds can vary greatly in size, from the tiny hummingbird to the large ostrich.
Tween boy's hands holding a grey and yellow bird.

Bird Activities

When teaching kids about birds, it can be helpful to do some hands-on activities. This allows kids to get a closer look at them and learn more about their behavior and habits. It’s also a fun way for tweens to learn, and makes it easier to master the material.

Here are some things you can easily add to your homeschool lesson plans.

Winter Bird Activities

These activities are a simple way to study birds in the winter months. Observe birds in their natural habitat, complete a bird feeder STEM challenge, work on a bird journal, and more.

Bird Feeders

8 simple to make nature-friendly bird feeders that are sure to attract birds to your backyard, helping you study them up close.

After you create a bird feeder for your yard, use this observation sheet to see what kinds of feathered friends you’re attracting and how well the feeder works.

Bird Beak Science Experiment

Beaks are specialized tools that determine what birds are able to eat. With this fun bird beak experiment, kids will find out about birds’ beaks and what the differences mean for them.

Bird Art Projects

Learn how to draw a number of birds in this quick and easy chalk pastel video course. You can also add birds to your nature journal.

Bird Feather Activity

Feathers are essential for birds. Learn more about them with this Bird Anatomy STEM Club activity.

How to Teach About Birds

These fun bird activities are an easy way to teach kids about birds. Things like learning bird calls, visiting an aviary, and playing some bird-themed games.

Printed sheet for the Great Backyard Bird Count, Florida Birds books, and binoculars on ground.

How Strong are a Bird’s Bones?

Birds can fly thanks to their hollow, lightweight bones. In this fun activity, tweens learn that hollow bones can also be very strong.

Tweens will answer the question, how strong are a bird’s bones?

The Great Backyard Bird Count

During the Great Backyard Bird Count, kids can learn to identify the types of birds that are in their own backyard, track them, then share those observations to help scientists understand bird populations around the world.

Bird Migration Game

Tweens can play this online migration game to learn more about bird migration.

Bird Science Experiments

Use these bird science experiments in your homeschool when you’re studying flying creatures. Dissecting eggs, testing bird flight with paper airplanes, and using color to test what attracts birds will keep your middle schoolers engaged during science class.

Teen girl smiling just put together a skeleton from an Owl pellet on black construction paper.

Owl Pellet Activity

Want to know what owls eat? Try dissecting an owl pellet to find out. We’ve done this a couple of times and it’s always fascinating to see what creatures the owl has eaten.

My daughters love trying to put together full skeletons from the bones in the pellet.

Bird Conservation

Tweens can learn what impact humans have on birds and what we can do to help them by watching this bird conservation slide show and doing the accompanying activities.

Bird Watching

By watching live bird cams, tweens will be able to see and hear birds from around the globe in their natural habitats – find out about nest building, gathering food, and more.

White swan swimming with quote about birds next to it.

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Bird Books

To dive even deeper into your bird studies, add some interesting books to your lesson plans. Here are a few that your older kids can use to expand their knowledge, take with them when they go bird watching, or just read about them.

National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America

If you want to add an informative, colorful non-fiction book to your flying creatures’ lesson plans, this would be a great one. It’s full of fun facts, maps, and activities all related to 50 of North America’s most popular birds.

Backyard Birds

This book makes the essential field guide for birding appropriate for older kids. They’ll be introduced to the Peterson Identification System, which is widely used by birdwatchers, written with the beginner in mind.

This is a must-have for any family who wants to get the most out of their bird watching experience. 

Beginning Birdwatcher’s Book

Keeping a list of the birds you find is essential to any birdwatcher’s toolkit. Instead of just making a written list, let your kids use this book, which includes stickers of 48 common North American birds that they can use to identify the birds along with their journaling.

Bird Log Kids: A Kids’ Journal to Record Their Birding Experiences

When your older kids are out bird watching as part of their bird lessons, encourage them to take a log like this with them so they can keep a record of the birds they find. This is written for students and has 30 log pages, 13 art pages (where they can get creative with their own photos/drawings), a life list to keep track of all the birds they’ve seen, plus more.

National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North AmericaNational Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North AmericaNational Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North AmericaBackyard Birds (Peterson Field Guides: Young Naturalists)Backyard Birds (Peterson Field Guides: Young Naturalists)Backyard Birds (Peterson Field Guides: Young Naturalists)Beginning Birdwatcher's Book: With 48 StickersBeginning Birdwatcher’s Book: With 48 StickersBeginning Birdwatcher's Book: With 48 StickersBird Log Kids (Nature Journals)Bird Log Kids (Nature Journals)Bird Log Kids (Nature Journals)

 

Bird: Discover the Fascinating World of Birds

This non-fiction book is a must-have for any science lesson on birds. The clear, vibrant images and interesting facts will keep your kids engaged and excited to learn all they can about birds. 

Audubon’s Birds of America Coloring Book

The 46 pictures found inside this book from the National Audubon Society were carefully redrawn from James Audubon’s own drawings. Let your kids be creative as they bring to life the images of this famous American artist.

The Young Birder’s Guide (Peterson Field Guide)

Created with the help of kids, this guide won’t overwhelm new birdwatchers. It covers 300 of the most common species of birds in North America and is full of beautiful photographs, fun facts, and interesting information you can use to learn more about birds.

Birdology

Inside you’ll find quite a few hands-on activities you and your family can do to explore more about birds. This is the perfect tool if you’re looking for more fun things to do with your tweens.

Bird: Discover the Fascinating World of BirdsBird: Discover the Fascinating World of BirdsBird: Discover the Fascinating World of BirdsThe Audubon Birds Coloring BookThe Audubon Birds Coloring BookThe Audubon Birds Coloring BookThe Young Birder's Guide To Birds Of North AmericaThe Young Birder’s Guide To Birds Of North AmericaThe Young Birder's Guide To Birds Of North AmericaBirdology: 30 Activities for Exploring the World of BirdsBirdology: 30 Activities for Exploring the World of BirdsBirdology: 30 Activities for Exploring the World of Birds

 

Bird Lesson Plans

If you want to do a study on flying creatures, but don’t know where to begin, use one of these prepared units in your homeschool.

Studying Birds in Nature

Beautiful Birds is an awesome digital curriculum offers a comprehensive study of birds from a nature study perspective. There are over 100 bird activities for kids and 16 prepared notebooking pages included.

Mock up of the front of the Beautiful Birds book - homeschool curriculum

Notebooking Pages

Notebooking is a wonderful way to help your tweens stay focused during homeschool lessons, so add these bird study notebooking pages to your lesson plans.

Included in this bird study are pages to help your tween learn more about over 170 birds and bird families.

Birds Notebooking Pages

Hopefully, as your tweens spend more time observing birds and completing these fun projects, they’ll find a new appreciation for flying creatures.

WHICH ONE OF THESE BIRD ACTIVITIES ARE YOUR KIDS GOING TO TRY FIRST?

Megan Zechman
I love homeschooling! Learning is a way of life for our family. Most days you will find us exploring our Central Florida community, having fun while learning. I am constantly looking for new and interactive ways to engage my older children.
Megan Zechman
Megan Zechman
Megan Zechman

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5 Comments

  1. I love these ideas! What a great way to encourage outdoor learning in the winter! Thx for linking this post up at the Thoughtful Spot!

  2. These are interesting activities. I am bookmarking this page for future ref!

    Thank you!

    ThePracticalMomBlog.BlogSpot.in

  3. Pingback: 5th Grade Weekly Wrap-Up

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