Birding for Kids: 21 Fun Bird-Watching Activities

Birding, also known as bird-watching, is an enjoyable outdoor activity for kids and adults. 

Birding with kids is a simple way to explore nature in your backyard, at school, at a nearby park, or at a nature preserve. Watching and listening to birds encourages children to ask questions and learn about the wildlife around them. You don’t need special equipment to start—just a little curiosity!

Birdwatching has become an everyday part of our family’s life, and some of our favorite discoveries happen right outside our windows. I love how noticing one bird can spark questions about what it’s eating, where it lives, or why it makes a particular sound.

Try this today: stop, look, and listen for five minutes. Invite your child to notice a bird’s color, describe its sound, or draw what it does. Can you spot a bird eating, flying, or resting?

Below, you’ll find 21 bird-watching activities, along with helpful books and optional supplies. Bring along our bird-watching printables to tally the birds you recognize and record your discoveries together.

For more ways to explore nature together, try these Outdoor Learning Activities for Kids.

How To Start Birding with Kids:

Many people often start birdwatching unintentionally. Children might become curious about birds while watching them at a feeder, playing outside, taking a family walk, or visiting somewhere new on vacation.

Sometimes a change of scenery helps us notice the winged wonders we overlook in everyday life. Spotting an unfamiliar bird can spark curiosity and inspire us to pay closer attention to the birds near home.

In our family, birding has become part of who we are. I’m becoming one of those crazy bird ladies, and I love it! No wonder Grandpa enjoyed birdwatching so much!

No matter what age you start, spying on birds from the window or patio, in the front or back yard, in the schoolyard, in the park, and out in the wild is fun and educational for children and adults.

Watching and observing birds of all kinds is an outdoor activity and a lifelong hobby for young and old alike. Anyone, at any age, can be captivated by our many fine-feathered friends.

Birdwatching fits naturally into homeschooling, nature schools, forest school programs, and everyday family life. But it is not an exclusive club. You don’t need to follow a particular educational approach to enjoy learning about birds together.

Follow Your Child’s Curiosity:

Children often become interested in birds during everyday moments while playing outside or walking through the neighborhood. Even babies and toddlers can enjoy birdwatching or listening, as they often notice birds’ sounds and try to imitate them. Follow your child’s curiosity. You don’t need to know a bird’s name to enjoy watching it or listening to it together.

When your child notices a bird, pause and watch from a comfortable distance. Ask a simple question such as: “What do you think that bird is doing down there in the grass?” Give your child time to observe and share an idea.

Start with the birds you regularly see near home or school. Encourage children to notice their size, colors, movements, and sounds. As questions come up, use a field guide or bird-identification app to investigate together. It’s fine to leave some birds unidentified—the discovery is part of the fun.

Binoculars can help you see more detail, but they’re optional. A window, a quiet outdoor spot, and a few minutes of attention are enough to begin. Keep early outings short and let your child’s interest guide you.

21 Bird Watching Activities for Kids

Choose an activity that fits your child’s interests. Try listening for bird sounds, drawing a bird, or taking a short bird walk. Return to a favorite activity whenever curiosity strikes, and explore new ideas as your child’s interest grows.

1. Helpful Bird-Watching Supplies for Beginners:

Here are a few helpful birding supplies for kids and the adults who act as their teachers and guides. It includes a few birding basics to help new or young birders get started. Although you can see birds with the naked eye, you might prefer birding with something to help you see them a little better. This makes a pair of binoculars, or a camera or phone with a telephoto lens, excellent tools for birdwatching because they help you see birds “up close” even from a distance. A basic bird guide can also help you learn more about birds.

Beginner Bird Watching Supplies:

• Binoculars or a telescope to look for and spot birds in the backyard or wilderness. For many birders, a good pair of binoculars is one of the most essential items for bird-watching. Binoculars are a valuable piece of birdwatching equipment because they make it easy to see and enjoy birds from a distance, but they aren’t mandatory. Here are a few recommended options:
  • Compact Binoculars for kids and adults
  • Full-Sized Binoculars
  • Telescope (with cell phone attachment for older kids and adults)
• Bird Watching or Birding Field Guide (optional but recommended). Choose at least one of the following to identify the birds you see:
  • Peterson Field Guide to Birds
  • The Sibley Guide to Birds
  • Wildlife Guide (This book does not have an extensive list of birds, but it is a handy and comprehensive first field guide for kids, with several other plant and animal species included for reference.)
• Birding printables or a bird-watching logbook (optional) to count the number of birds you see and record your birding experiences everywhere from your backyard to the wild world of nature. Choose from the following:
  • Bird-Watching Printables Bundle
  • Beginning Birdwatcher’s Book (with 48 stickers!)
  • Birder’s Logbook: A Seek-and-Sticker Book for Budding Ornithologists
  • A Nature Journal
  • Children’s Bird-Watching Journal
  • Or a Bird Log

A few more optional bird-watching supplies:

If you discover that birdwatching is a hobby you and your children or students enjoy. Feel free to grab a few more birding resources and bird books from the optional bird-watching supplies below. You might also enjoy this list of Nature Study Supplies for Kids.

• Colored pencils, watercolor pencils, or a portable watercolor set to draw the birds you see and create gorgeous nature journal entries.
• Birds of North America Poster (Every Bird Species in North America) 
• Backyard Birding Flashcards with 100 Common Birds of Eastern and Western North America.

2. Get Children Interested in Birding with Bird Books for Kids:

Get kids more interested in birding with the fantastic educational bird books below. When paired with at least one of the birding field guides recommended above, these bird books for kids make great additions to your ornithological library. Following is a list of some of my family’s favorite books about birds and birdwatching for kids. Each of these bird book recommendations will make a great addition to your growing collection of educational nature study resources.

Best Birding Books for Kids, Teens, and Adults:

• Backyard Birds (Peterson Field Guides: Young Naturalists): This comprehensive field guide and introduction to ornithology includes the birds you are most likely to see in North American backyards. It includes vibrant, lifelike illustrations that bring each bird to life. It also offers a top method for bird identification and an easy-to-use design that helps beginners succeed and have fun.
• Birds, Nests & Eggs: “A fun and informative take-along guide that will help young children learn to identify 15 birds, and it features a few bird activities that are fun and easy to do.”
• National Geographic Kids: Bird Guide of North America: Here’s a beginning birding book for kids from National Geographic’s bird experts. It has several fun bird facts kids love, beautiful photography, and interactive birding activities and crafts—the perfect way to introduce junior birders to the fun and amazement of birding.
• What’s it Like to Be a Bird: “A bird book for birders and nonbirders alike that will excite and inspire by providing a new and deeper understanding of what common, mostly backyard, birds are doing—and why!”
• Burgess Bird Book for Children: Parents, teachers, and young readers worldwide will enjoy learning about birds with this classic nature book featuring Peter Cottontail and his many feathered friends. Learn all about the life and habits of several varieties of birds in this book about birds for kids. This excellent bird book shares information about different bird families, written in a chapter-book style and told as a story.
  • I enjoyed reading this bird book aloud to my daughter as a part of her homeschool education, but it is also a great book for families that attend traditional school.
  • I also recommend the Burgess Animal Book and the Burgess Seashore Book for Children. Together, these books make a fantastic educational chapter-book series for young and old alike!

3. Designate a Bird Watching Spot (or Spots Indoors and Outdoors):

Create a bird-watching sit spot inside or outside of your home or classroom. In our home, we have a designated birding spot by the kitchen window where we keep our nature journals, bird-watching printables, bird field guides, and binoculars.

When we look for birds in the backyard, we have chairs and a table outside so we can easily bring our birding supplies outdoors whenever needed. The sliding door to the backyard is right next to the birding supplies we keep on the kitchen counter.

Placing them in a central location makes them easier to grab at a moment’s notice. Today, birdwatching has become a daily habit that my daughter, husband, and I thoroughly enjoy. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

4. Enjoy Backyard Birdwatching:

Bird-watching is a great way to study nature in your backyard! Our family loves watching various birds in our yard and garden from our windows. We call out to the sparrows, finches, jays, mockingbirds, warblers, chickadees, and other birds we see when we spy on them in our bird feeders, and we even call some by name.

For example, the hummingbirds that visit our feeders are named “McFly,” “Chipper,” “Flash,” and “Ruby.” I never thought I would one day be able to tell birds of the same species apart, but like twins, it becomes much easier after you spend a little time observing them.

If you don’t have a backyard or patio to observe birds, parents, educators, and their students can also do backyard birdwatching activities for kids in the schoolyard, a nearby meadow, a hiking trail, a pond, or the local park. Kids and adults alike love observing birds and learning more about them.

5. Create a Bird-Friendly Backyard or Patio:

The best way to attract birds to your backyard, or onto your patio or balcony, and help them thrive is with bird-friendly yard and garden plants. It’s fun for children and adults alike to create a bird-friendly backyard habitat for your many feathered friends.

Plant Native Plants That Provide Food and Shelter:

Grow a beautiful garden for birds in the face of climate change. A simple way to attract birds to your backyard is to remove invasive weeds and plant native plants and flowers. Create a garden filled with native bushes, trees, and plants that help birds thrive.

Visit your favorite local plant nursery to ask about the native plants that are best for birds and pollinators in your area and how best to plant them. Buy the ones you like that will work in your yard or garden, and plan a planting party to put them in the ground or into appropriately sized containers on your patio or balcony. Even apartment dwellers can make a difference with a few plants native to your area.

Learn more about how to make your backyard bird-friendly with Audubon’s bird-friendly gardening tips. Or use the wildlife habitat gardening tips for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife in birdwatching activity #6 below:

Provide Bird Feeders and Fresh Water:

Another great way to invite birds into your yard is to make or provide a feeding station or water feature. Many of the wild backyard bird friends in my family’s backyard prefer hanging platform or tray feeders with sunflower seeds, metal-mesh feeders, and suet feeders. However, different areas and bird species might prefer other types of feeders and food.

Adding backyard bird feeders, standing or hanging birdbaths, and birdhouses that local birds enjoy is a simple way to make your backyard, patio, or balcony more bird-friendly. Try any of the recommendations on the list below:

Hanging Tray Birdfeeders and Birdbaths to Consider:

• Hanging Tray Feeder Platform (Mesh).
• Metal Mesh Thistle Bird Feeder for wild birds.
• Wild Bird Feeder (Brushed copper with squirrel-proof tube).
• Suet Bird Feeder with Tail Prop.
• Fly-Through Hanging Bird Feeder with Covered Roof & Aluminum Mesh Seed Tray.
• Hummingbird feeder.
• Standing Bird Bath (My family uses this in our backyard because it’s inexpensive, easy to clean, looks like real metal, safe if the kids or dogs accidentally knock it over, and our wild bird friends LOVE it!)
• Standing Bird Bath with Glass Dish.
• Gorgeous glass Hanging Birdbath or Outdoor Bird Feeder.

Make Hummingbird Nectar

Hummingbirds visit nectar-rich flowers from native plants, and may also visit hummingbird feeders, especially in the winter when natural food sources run low. If you provide a feeder, keep it clean by washing it thoroughly with soap and water regularly, and use a simple mixture of white table sugar and water. Fill the chamber of the hummingbird feeder with homemade sugar water as instructed below:

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar:

• Mix 4 parts water to 1 part white table sugar (4:1 water-to-sugar ratio). For example: Mix 1 cup of water with 1/4 cup of sugar. Or 2 cups of water with 1/2 cup of sugar, etc.
• Use warm to hot water and stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Allow the mixture to cool before filling the feeder and hanging it outside.

Do not add honey, artificial sweeteners, or red food coloring. Clean the nectar regularly, more often in hot weather. Learn more about feeding hummingbirds from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

6. Turn Your Yard, Garden, or Patio into a Certified Wildlife Habitat:

Another bird-friendly option is to certify your backyard, patio, or garden as a wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. Wondering How to Get Certified as a Wildlife Habitat? Review the information in this Book by the National Wildlife Federation and get started today!

“Anyone can create a welcoming haven for local wildlife. Turning your yard, balcony container garden, schoolyard, work landscape, or roadside greenspace into a Certified Wildlife Habitat® is fun, easy, and can make a lasting difference for wildlife.”

The National Wildlife Federation

7. Learn to Identify Birds in the Backyard, Park, and Wild Nature Spaces:

Learning how to identify birds is a fun outdoor learning activity for kids of all ages. Children from toddlers to teens enjoy learning more about the birds they see in the backyard and the wild world around them. You can learn to identify them by their colors, sizes, shapes, features, behaviors, habitats, food sources, mating habits, and sounds.

This activity often starts with identifying the common birds in your area. If you have ever heard the question, “What’s that bird?” It’s time to invest in a pair of birding binoculars (or a monocular telescope with a cell phone attachment) and a good bird book to help children try this fun birding activity!

In other words, if your children or students have questions about the birds in your neighborhood, or seem curious about the pair of wings floating through the sky above them. It’s a good idea to invest in a few birdwatching supplies for kids to help guide that initial spark of curiosity. The first bird-watching activity for kids in this guide offers several excellent options for young and old birders alike.

My daughter loves to grab her birding binoculars each time she sees a bird in the backyard. So, I have learned to keep them near the sliding back door, next to her nature notebook, to avoid the disappointment of the birds being gone by the time she returns. Today, she has an excellent working understanding of the local birds that frequent our backyard, local parks, and the wild natural spaces around us, as well as many of the birds that we encounter when we travel.

How to Identify Birds:

Teaching yourself how to identify birds is one of the best ways to learn more about them. This birding activity can keep children busy for hours as they look for field marks and other identifying characteristics, identify the birds they see, and look up the ones they don’t know in a bird field guide.

Identifying birds requires keen observation and attention to detail. Start by noting the bird’s size, shape, appearance, coloration, and distinctive markings. Field marks are physical characteristics such as color, size, shape, beak or bill type, and other identifying markings that make each bird unique.

Pay attention to specific features such as bill shape, wing shape, and tail length, as these field marks can vary significantly between bird species. It’s also a good idea to note the bird’s behavior, habitat, and the time of year and location where you spotted it, as these factors can provide valuable identification clues. 

Listening to the bird’s calls and songs can also help narrow down its species. Utilize field guides, birding apps, or online resources to compare your observations and confirm the bird’s identity. With practice and patience, you and your children or students will become more confident in identifying birds. The recommended resources below can help:

Best Online Bird Guides and Apps for Identifying Birds:

• Review Audubon’s online bird guide to help children identify birds.
• Cornell Lab’s All About Birds Guide is another helpful online bird guide.
• Merlin Bird ID is a free app that helps you identify birds using photos, sounds, and observations. Treat its results as suggestions, and check against what you see and hear.
• Use eBird, another fantastic free bird app, to record birding checklists and contribute observations to community science.

The Best Bird Field Guides for Children and Adults:

Here’s a list of the best bird books and birding field guides for kids and adults. You will notice that a few of these birding books also appear in the birdwatching books, supplies, and learning resources recommended at the beginning of this guide for kids. This is a more comprehensive list for twitchers and bird nerds.

• Backyard Birds (Field Guides for Young Naturalists): This birding book is designed for beginning birdwatchers of all ages. It features the original art of celebrated naturalist Roger Tory Peterson and incorporates the Peterson Identification System — the most effective method for bird identification.
• Peterson Field Guide to Birds: For decades, the Peterson birding guides have been trusted by birders of all levels, thanks to their unparalleled illustrations and famous bird identification system.
• The Sibley Guide to Birds: This excellent birding resource is used by millions of birders worldwide, from novices to the most advanced. “The Sibley Guide has become the standard by which natural history guides are measured.”
• Sibley’s Birding Basics is a comprehensive and beautifully illustrated guide to identifying birds in the field. It is an essential companion for birders of all skill levels and experience.
• National Audubon Society Birds of North America: This comprehensive bird book for kids and adults is considered one of the most extensive and authoritative guides to the birds of North America. It includes the latest information on conservation status and the effects of climate change. From the world’s most trusted name in birding, Audubon’s guide is beloved by millions of backyard bird enthusiasts and birding experts worldwide.

8. Learn Basic Bird Anatomy with the Parts of a Bird Printable Worksheet:

Before learning to identify birds, it’s a good idea to know the parts of a bird. Learning basic bird anatomy makes it much easier for kids and adults to identify the birds they see. Get the parts of a bird printable anatomy worksheet in the Rhythms of Play Learning Center to help kids learn which part is which! Not all birds have the same parts, and this printable doesn’t feature a bird with a crest, a prominent tuft, or a collection of longer feathers on the top of the head, but it’s a fantastic educational resource nonetheless.

9. Observe, Count, and Record the Birds You See in the Backyard and the Wild:

Observing, counting, and recording birding observations is a fun, educational activity for kids. Here are a few simple bird-watching printables (including a bird-watching journal, bird-watching log book observation page, a bird-watching tally chart, bird life list, parts of a bird anatomy worksheet, and a bird count checklist) to help young naturalists learn to identify birds, count the birds they see, and record their birding experiences in the backyard and the wild.

Backyard Bird Watching Observation Activity Ideas:

These bird-watching printables are an excellent nature study resource for kids and adults alike. The printable birding log book pages can help you count and record the number of birds you observe daily, weekly, or monthly. My daughter and I like to keep them in our homemade nature journals.

• First, use a three-hole paper punch to make holes in the printable bird-watching log and journal pages you like best, then put them in a 3-ring binder to use as a homemade nature notebook.
• Next, use the printable bird-watching tally sheet or checklist to count and record the number and variety of birds you identify. (Write the names of the most common birds you see in the backyard, park, etc., in the column on the left, and use the tally or checklist to count the number of birds you see each day, week, or month.)
• Add each bird you identify to your printable bird life list.
• Record bird observations and experiences in your bird-watching journal or bird log.
• Finally, submit counts to help scientists collect essential data about the birds you correctly identify year-round with eBird or at one of the global bird count events in the next section.

10. Become a Citizen Scientist: Participate in International Bird Counting Events:

My family loves participating in global bird-counting events and festivals, and I’ll bet you will, too! Count and record the number of birds you see and correctly identify in the backyard, local park, nature reserves, and wild outdoor spaces at one of the global bird-counting events on the list below.

Not only is it fun to help scientists collect essential data about birds and our environment, but it’s also interesting to learn something new each time you count birds. Whether it’s identifying a new bird to add to your life list, learning its call or song (and why the bird might be making it), discovering what it likes to eat, or understanding where it builds a nest. Every bit of time spent identifying and counting birds will benefit yours and your children’s education.

Best of all, every bit of data we provide helps scientists better understand and protect birds worldwide. Each year, people come together to watch, learn about, count, and celebrate birds at international bird-counting events. Learn more about each of these global bird counting events and discover how to join these fun citizen science projects below!

The Great Backyard Bird Count:

The Great Backyard Bird Count is a four-day event held annually in February. Families around the world can participate by watching birds for at least 15 minutes on one of the four days to watch, learn about, and celebrate birds. Join the next Great Backyard Bird Count on February 12-15, 2027.

The birding apps mentioned in activity #7 make it easy to count the birds you see (or hear) during the Great Backyard Bird Count. Use Merlin Bird ID to help identify and save confirmed sightings, or submit a checklist through eBird to help provide scientists with essential data about bird populations. You can submit multiple checklists if you have the time and energy.

Today, it’s easier than ever to join the backyard bird-counting fun. Follow the official Great Backyard Bird Count participation instructions to get started.

Project FeederWatch:

Project FeederWatch runs from November 1 to April 30 each year. Register with the project, choose your observation site, and select two consecutive days for a count. You can participate as often as weekly, leaving at least five days between counts, or count less often. Even one count during the season provides scientists with valuable data.

For each species, report the largest number of birds you see at the same time during your two-day count. Do not add together every visit, since the same birds may return. You don’t need a feeder to participate. Read the Project FeederWatch instructions for registration details, eligible observations, and reporting options.

Global Big Day:

Global Big Day is an annual bird counting event held in mid-May in the Northern Hemisphere on World Migratory Bird Day. Families and groups can join from their backyard, a local park, or another favorite birding spot and submit their observations through eBird. Visit eBird for the next event announcement and participation instructions.

October Big Day

A second major bird-counting event, October Big Day, happens in October to record fall migration and peak spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Both the May and October Global Big Day events are organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology via eBird and invite people worldwide to count and record bird species over a 24-hour period.

The Christmas Bird Count:

Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count takes place each year from December 14 to January 5. Conservationists started this annual bird count on Christmas Day 1900 to promote bird conservation by counting rather than hunting birds. This bird counting event is free to participate and open to birders of all ages and abilities. The CBC now takes place in over 20 countries across the Western Hemisphere! Learn more about this community science event and how to add your counts to the tally on Audubon’s website.

11. Learn to Name that Bird by Birdcall or Song:

Encourage children to learn to identify the bird calls, sounds, and songs of the bird species in your area. Learning bird calls and songs is a great way to identify birds that hide in dense foliage and birds that come out at night.

This bird call identification activity can help children and adults learn to identify birds that look alike but may not sound alike. Below are a few fantastic bird language books for use at home, outdoors, or in the classroom. The Merlin app also lets you identify birds by their calls, songs, or other sounds.

Books, Audio, and DVDs with Bird Language Basics:

• Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song. Drawing from the world-renowned Macaulay Library collection at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Songs presents the most notable North American birds with colorful illustrations and a digital audio player with each bird’s distinctive song.
• What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World. This informative birding book reveals how understanding bird language and behavior can help us see more wildlife. Author Jon Young proposes that songbirds know everything they need to know about their environment, whether it’s a backyard or a forest. We can learn much about our world by tuning in to bird vocalizations and behaviors.
• Bird Language Basics with Jon Young DVD: Join expert tracker and nature mentor Jon Young on this journey, examining the language of birds. This set will give you the tools you need to see the landscape through the birds’ eyes and build a more intimate relationship with the world unfolding outside your door.
• Bird Language Groups with Jon Young DVD: Bird Language becomes a dynamic indicator of predator-prey relationships to the aware observer. Join Jon Young in this two-disc journey examining the language of birds and bringing you to a more intimate relationship with the world unfolding outside your door.
• Sibley’s Birding Basics: How to Identify Birds, Using the Clues in Feathers, Habitats, Behaviors, and Sounds. Learn how to interpret what the feathers, the anatomical structure, and the sounds of birds are telling you with this informative guide by Sibley.

Learn Bird sounds on the Internet:

• Listen to 50 common bird species and the sounds they make on AAA State of Play.
• Try these bird-song identification tips from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, including five essential beginner tips on All About Birds.
• Alternatively, learn a few fun mnemonics for common bird songs with the National Audubon Society.
• You might also enjoy the Common North American Bird Sounds video below:

Even Toddlers Can Learn to Identify Bird Calls:

Babies and toddlers love to imitate the sounds they hear from a young age, because it’s one of the primary ways they learn to talk. Thus, they also echo the bird sounds, calls, and songs they hear in the natural world around them. Help your toddler learn bird language basics with the fantastic birding nature study resource guides listed in the section above. Toddlers and preschoolers love these birdwatching activities!

Of course, the woodpecker was one of my daughter’s favorite bird sounds to imitate when she was a toddler. She’d exclaim rat-tat-tat-tat each time she heard or saw one pecking at a tree with its beak. She also enjoys cooing gently with doves, squawking with blue jays, cawing at crows, hooting with owls, and quacking around with the local ducks (as shown in the photograph below).

12. Practice Bird “Listening” and Identifying Outdoors:

Another fun birding activity for kids (and adults) is identifying birds in your backyard or out in the wild by their calls, sounds, or songs. To practice bird listening, use the resources above to learn how to identify different bird sounds and calls. Next, listen to birds outside and try to identify them by sound alone.

Finally, when you hear birds, do your best to “find” the bird making the sound with your eyes. It’s not always possible, but it’s fun! My daughter and I are constantly looking for the hawks and other birds of prey that we hear screeching and calling in the wooded areas where we go for walks.

Different Bird Sounds, Songs, and Calls:

Another type of bird listening involves understanding the different kinds of birds’ sounds and calls, such as territorial, alarm, and companion calls. Learning more about each bird species, observing them, and listening to their sounds, especially in their natural habitat, will help you understand why they are singing, calling, or screaming.

Much of the time, you hear birds crying out in alarm about your approach or appearance in their space, especially if you have a pet with you, speak loudly with others, or otherwise make a lot of noise. You will not hear as many bird alarms when you walk outdoors if you tread lightly, approach quietly, and hold a sense of peace or unconditional love in your heart.

One of the best ways to listen to bird sounds, calls, and alarms without disturbing and influencing what they might be saying is to sit quietly in your front or backyard, or a quiet spot in nature (such as a sit-spot), for an extended period. Or even better, sit quietly out in nature to listen to birds in their natural environment. I highly recommend this birding activity for kids and adults of all ages. Give it a try!

The Day My Toddler Out-Birded Me:

My daughter showed me that she could correctly identify geese honking in the sky from a great distance when she was only two years old. Suddenly, while out on a peaceful nature walk, she happily exclaimed, “Geese!” To which I replied, “What?” She loudly repeated, “GEESE!” as if frustrated with my ineptitude. I was about to squash her excitement and tell her there were no geese (just like any other typical adult, ignoring their child’s perceptiveness) when I suddenly heard a faint honk in the sky!

I looked up and saw a perfect “V” of geese flying high above us. They were so high up in the atmosphere that I was shocked she could even hear them, let alone identify them correctly. She not only accurately identified them by their birdcall, but she noticed them honking through the sky long before I did! As a toddler, she couldn’t see them from standing. So, I had to pick her up and lay her in my arms so she could see them. It was a proud-mama-and-daughter birding moment we thoroughly enjoyed.

Related: Kids’ Music That Won’t Drive You Nuts!

13. Go on a Bird Walk or Birding Adventure:

Grab your nature study supplies and head outside on a bird walk to practice identifying birds by sight or sound. You can also try one of the fun bird scavenger hunt ideas below. Alternatively, plan an adventure to a nearby area known for bird-watching, such as a large outdoor park or nature reserve.

Wondering what to bring for bird watching? You may want a good pair of binoculars (or a cell phone or camera with a telephoto lens) to observe birds in more detail from a distance. (Choose from the birding basics on the list of recommended bird-watching supplies at the top of this list of beginner birdwatching tips.)

Investing in at least one birding field guide or field journal can also help you identify the birds you see and hear. I also recommend bringing water, snacks, and sunscreen. You can also invest in a few other helpful nature-study supplies for your outdoor birding adventures if you so choose.

14. Birding Scavenger Hunt Ideas:

Go on a bird scavenger hunt to give your birding adventures a purpose. Here are a few bird scavenger-hunt ideas my daughter and I invented together on our daily forays into nature. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Bird Counting Scavenger Hunt:

You can do this fun and educational birding scavenger hunt in two different ways:

1. Count the number of bird species you can identify by sight or sound for the day, such as the number of wrens, goldfinches, cardinals, jays, or American robins you see (or hear).
2. Alternatively, add the number of birds you see or hear to the number of birds you have seen of each species in your birdwatching or nature journal for the week, month, year, or lifetime.

Related: Nature Sensory Bin Scavenger Hunt

Find That Bird Scavenger Hunt:

Is there a bird you would love to see but haven’t yet? Then, head out on a scavenger hunt to find the bird, or birds, that continue to elude you with this fun bird-seeking activity:

1. First, research the bird’s favorite habitat, food, bird call or sound, and waking and sleeping patterns.
2. Next, head out on an adventure in search of that bird!
3. Once you find it (hear it or see it), take a picture of it if you can, and add the new bird you found to your printable bird life list!

Bird Feather Photo Scavenger Hunt:

Look for feathers on a nature walk and record your discoveries without taking them home. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to try this fun bird scavenger hunt activity for kids:

1. Search for feathers in your backyard or along a trail.
2. Leave each feather where you find it and photograph or sketch its colors, shape, and pattern.
3. Use a field guide or a book titled Bird Feathers: A Guide to North American Species to investigate and try to identify which bird it might belong to.
4. Add your drawing or photograph to your nature journal along with the date and location.

Why leave bird feathers where you find them?

A feather on the ground can feel like a little treasure! But in the United States, federal law protects feathers from most native birds—even feathers that fall out naturally. These protections help prevent birds from being killed for their feathers. Because a loose feather doesn’t reveal how it was obtained, the rules generally apply to found feathers, too.

Invite children to photograph or sketch their discoveries and leave the feathers in place. This activity lets children explore their discoveries while leaving feathers in place. They can still investigate which bird each feather might belong to and record their findings in a nature journal.

Learn more about feathers and the law from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

15. Draw or Paint Birds:

Another fun birding activity for kids and a great way to learn more about birds is to draw or paint them. Use colored pencils (or watercolor pencils) to draw birds or watercolors to paint birds onto cardstock, watercolor paper, or directly into a nature journal or birding log book.

Drawing and painting birds can help anyone learn more about them. The “How to Draw Birds” books below can help you get started capturing birds through art. I love and recommend “The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds,” which is a favorite in our homeschool art room.

Best Books About How to Draw Birds:

• The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds (Our favorite bird drawing book.)
• How to Draw Amazing Birds from Songbirds to Birds of Prey
• How to Draw Birds: A Step-by-Step Guide for Realistic Drawing Projects
• Drawing: Birds: Learn to draw step by step (How to Draw & Paint)

Learn to Draw a Bird on the Internet:

• How to draw a bird: Learn to draw birds with author and artist David Sibley on Audubon.
• Explore bird drawing lessons with artist and author John Muir Laws on his website.
• Learn how to draw a bird with the step-by-step bird drawing tutorial by Thrive Agency on Artlex.

16. Take Pictures of Birds

Many birding enthusiasts worldwide carry a cell phone with a telephoto lens attachment or a DSLR camera with a telephoto lens instead of binoculars to observe a bird and capture its photo! Taking a picture of a bird lets you use a birding field guide to identify it later, rather than trying to look up an unfamiliar bird in the wild.

If you or your children enjoy birding, consider investing in photography lessons and a good camera with a telephoto lens or a cell phone camera lens. You may find yourself wanting to capture pictures of your bird friends, the birds you meet along the way, and rare captures worthy of the birding photography wall.

17. Make a Bird’s Nest: A STEAM Birding Activity for Kids

Creating a bird’s nest is a fun STEAM challenge for kids of all ages. Invite children to make a bird’s nest as an entertaining, educational birding activity. To do this birding activity, first encourage children to head outside and search for items a bird would use to build a nest.

Remind children that many birds don’t build their nests in trees. And some don’t build a nest at all! Please encourage them to think creatively before starting this nest-building activity. Look through the Birds, Nests & Eggs birding book with children to help them learn how and where birds build their homes and all about their young. If you are curious and want to learn more about the fascinating variety of bird nests, check out the Peterson Field Guide to North American Bird Nests.

Next, invite them to use natural materials they collect to make a bird’s nest. Nest building is a self-motivated activity for our daughter; she has been making bird nests from nature’s scraps since she was a toddler. One of her many nests is pictured below. She has also fashioned a few nests in hollow logs, a clay mud nest on a wall, and some great ground nests in clumps of tall grass over the years.

18. Play Bird Games to Learn More About Birds:

Playing games with and about birds is a fun and interactive way for children and adults to learn more about them. Try the bird games below. These fun birding activities for kids can help teach children about birds from toddlers to teens. (They are listed in order of age recommendation, with the more advanced bird games for older children and adults towards the bottom of the list.)

Best Games About Birds for Kids and Adults:

• Bird Families: A high-flying card game based on Happy Families and Go Fish for players ages two and up. In Bird Families, the aim is to get as many sets of birds as possible. Collect four of each bird species before your opponents. This beautiful game includes a booklet describing each featured bird species.
• Sibley Backyard Birds Matching Game: A memory game with 20 matching pairs for children by Sibley Birds. With beautiful watercolor bird illustrations from leading ornithologist David Sibley, this 40-piece matching game for children ages three and up will surely charm both kids and parents.
• What The Flock: A hilarious game of words and birds, perfect for word enthusiasts and bird lovers ages three and up. Through skill, chance, and strategy, be the fastest to assemble your bird by playing various word games—an ideal addition to game nights and family gatherings.
• Wingspan (Base Game): A relaxing, award-winning strategy board game about birds for birders ages fourteen and up. In this educational birding game, players are bird enthusiasts, researchers, bird watchers, ornithologists, and collectors seeking to discover and attract a diverse array of birds to their wildlife preserves.
• Bird Brains: A trivia card game for bird lovers. Test your knowledge about Birds with this fun game for birders ages fourteen and up!
• Sibley Birder’s Trivia Card Game: Here’s a bird trivia game for players ages fourteen and up with 400 questions to test every birder’s knowledge from the bestselling author and ornithologist David Allen Sibley.
• What Bird Am I?: A bird identification game for birding fanatics ages fourteen and up. This game is perfect for novice and intermediate birdwatchers, as well as truly serious birders. Test your species identification skills with this educational bird game!

19. Study a Bird or Species of Birds (Conduct a Bird Study):

Once children become interested in birding and the birds they hear and see around them, a great way to extend their learning is to study a particular bird or species. Spend time observing the bird in its natural habitat. Look it up in your birding books and field guides, head to the library for information, and do a Google search for fun ways to learn more. “When we follow our children’s interests, they are much more interested in learning.“

For example, hatching chicks and tending a small flock of chickens is a great educational birding activity for homeschoolers. As a toddler, and today at eleven, our daughter is highly fond of her fowl friends. She loves tending to and playing with the chicks and hens we keep in our coop and free-ranging in our backyard.

Collecting eggs, feeding, and watering them are also jobs she thoroughly enjoys. She even herds them toward the vegetation they like best and finds insects for them to eat. That’s the definition of hands-on learning! Look at how happy she is as a toddler in the picture below, holding the chicken.

20. Try a Few Bird Science Activities:

Another fun way to learn more about birds is with the standards-aligned science lessons on Mystery Science. Captivate your children or students with engaging bird lessons and assessments that deepen their understanding of birds.

21. Contribute to Bird Conservation Efforts:

Kids can play a vital role in bird conservation efforts through engaging, educational activities. Fortunately, this article briefly discusses most ways we can do this (adults are not exempt). The following is a summary of several ways children and adults can contribute to conservation efforts to help birds and our environment flourish: 

• Birdwatching can raise awareness of the diversity of bird species on our beautiful green and watery planet and the importance of each habitat. 
• By hanging and building birdhouses and feeders and planting bird-friendly garden plants, kids can provide safe nesting places and food sources for birds, especially during migration and the winter months. These birding activities greatly support bird conservation efforts.
• Engaging in citizen science projects (such as the international bird counts mentioned in #10 above) allows kids to contribute valuable data that helps scientists monitor bird populations and their health. 
• Help protect birds by planting native plants, keeping cats indoors, and making windows easier for birds to see. Apply bird-safe markings to the outside of the glass, approximately 2 inches apart across the entire surface, or use other proven treatments. A few decorative stickers or window stars are not enough. Explore Cornell’s guide to preventing window collisions to learn more.

These activities can help protect and preserve bird species and instill responsibility and a connection to the natural world in young conservationists worldwide. This is an excellent recipe for the future. 

Benefits of Bird Watching:

Birding is a lifelong hobby with many educational benefits for people of all ages. The birding and bird-watching activities and lessons in this guide can help children (or adults) learn about birds and expand their understanding of the many species native to their environment and the wider world beyond their backyards. It can also foster a lifelong interest in nature and instill conservation and stewardship values in the next generation. The following are a few benefits of this wildlife activity:

1. Bird watching gets kids and adults of all ages outside, learning, and having fun:

One of the main benefits of birding for kids is that the best birdwatching happens outdoors. In other words, this list of birding activities can help get kids outside to connect with the natural world and the secrets it shares. Exposure to nature and the great outdoors offers far-reaching physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits for young and old, including improved self-regulation skills.

Creating a connection with nature in our children is also beneficial because it will likely help increase conservation efforts in the future. People do not care about what they do not understand or feel connected to. When we connect children with nature and Mother Earth’s many creatures, including birds, we increase the likelihood of sustaining life as we know it on Planet Earth. Even more importantly, we open the door to improving it for all beings on Earth. For more ways to get kids outside learning and having fun, check out this quick list of outdoor activities for kids and adults: Get Outside and Connect.

2. Birding helps children and adults stay present:

When people go birdwatching, they immerse themselves in the experience and joy of the present moment. Birding causes us to stop, pay closer attention, and notice the little details more acutely. We become more aware of everything. Our innate intuition and spidey senses tingle, and we open our senses more fully to the sensations in the wild world around us.

Colors become more vibrant, and we can hear every sound more clearly, from the gentle twitter of a bird in the distance and the almost silent scampering of a wren to the far-off cry of a hawk. This is precisely what most mindfulness practices advocate. Get out there and become more mindful and aware of your surroundings. Like getting on a yoga mat, you might be surprised at what you discover.

3. Watching Birds May Support Well-Being:

Birdwatching gives us a chance to slow down, notice our surroundings, and enjoy time in nature. Current research also suggests a connection between nearby nature and mental well-being.

A 2017 study published in BioScience found that greater neighborhood vegetation cover and afternoon bird abundance were associated with a lower prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress. These findings show an association between this activity and well-being. However, they do not establish that birdwatching itself causes better mental health.

A German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research study published in Science Daily also found that bird biodiversity may be associated with increased life satisfaction. The study found that people living near natural areas with more diverse bird species tend to be happier. Both seeing and hearing birds may benefit our bodies, minds, and spirits.

For our family, watching and listening to birds is a welcome opportunity to pause and enjoy the natural world together. Personally, I find that daily exposure to nature and its many winged creatures improves my sense of well-being and perceived level of happiness, and I know I’m not alone. Maybe you feel the same way.

4. Birding allows children of all ages to take charge of their education:

One of the most incredible benefits of backyard birdwatching is that it allows children to search for answers to the questions that matter most to them. Following their interests helps children take charge of their education. Birdwatching can also instill in children a sense of environmental stewardship and a desire to protect natural resources. Keeping endangered birds alive and protecting our future is essential for each of us. Please visit these Outdoor Activities for Kids for more educational outdoor activities and nature study ideas.

Best Bird-Watching Activities for Kids and Adults:

Birding, also known as bird watching, is a great way to get kids outside to learn and have fun. First, grab the recommended bird-watching supplies for kids (and adults) from the list above. Next, use the recommended supplies, birdwatching activities, and ideas in this handy guide to get kids started with backyard, local park, and outdoor birdwatching.

One of the best times of year to watch birds is late winter and early spring, when many migrate north to return home. You might see birds migrating to and from their summer and winter homes and habitats during the fall and spring. But any day is an excellent day for birdwatching!

In the springtime, you can also get lucky and spot a few mating rituals. I had a great time watching two male mockingbirds compete for the affections of a lady mockingbird out my office window one spring morning. As a bonus, many birding activities make it easy to add literacy, math, science, art, and STEAM into a child’s education at home or in the classroom. You might also enjoy searching for signs of spring, or try this spring scavenger hunt for toddlers and preschoolers.

More Educational Birding Resources for Children and Adults:

Below are a few more excellent educational birding resources for children.

Best Bird-Watching Printables for Kids and Adults:

If you haven’t already, get this fantastic bird-watching printable bundle on the list below for one low price–> HERE! Or purchase your favorite printable birding journal from the list below:

• Printable Bird Life List
• Bird Watching Log Book Observation Sheet
• Printable Bird Watching Journal Sheet
• Bird Watching Tally Chart
• Parts of a Bird Printable Bird Anatomy Worksheet
• Bird Watching Checklist

Educational Birding Games and Activities for Children Bundle:

Study birds with children while playing games, working on crafts, completing STEM challenges, and doing other hands-on activities at home or in the classroom with THIS educational birding bundle for kids from Adventure in a Box. With this birding bundle, students can explore:

• Birds’ plumage and dimorphism
• The diversity of birds, as well as their distinctive features
• Birds’ eggs and parenting habits
• 48 different species of birds
• Birds’ houses and engineering skills

The combination of pictures, icons, and limited language in most games and activities within the birding bundle makes the lesson plans suitable for preschool through middle school children. Enjoy exploring the world of birds at home or in the classroom with this fun, educational birding bundle for kids!

Birding Lessons and Learning Activities for Kids:

Learn more about birds and their habitats with lessons tailored to students of all ages. Learn more about birding lessons and bird-watching activities for kindergarten through 12th-grade students with The Cornell Lab.

From free curricula to all-inclusive kits, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a wide variety of lessons and activities to captivate learners of all grade levels.

The Cornell Lab

Related: Spring Books for Kids

Birding Activity Ideas for Kids:

Birdwatching offers a gateway to exploration, science, and environmental awareness that can last a lifetime. Become a mentor by igniting children’s wonder and curiosity about birds. Introducing children to the world of birds with the birdwatching ideas above can be an enriching experience. It helps them connect with nature, building curiosity, observation skills, and appreciation for the diverse avian species around them. 

Kids and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages enjoy watching and identifying birds to learn more about them. Whether you are a parent or a nature school teacher, grab your binoculars (if you have a pair), head outdoors, and embark on a memorable birding journey with your kids or students with the birding activity ideas above. Doing so will foster a lifelong interest in nature and instill conservation and stewardship values in the next generation.

First published on March 14, 2016, this backyard birdwatching post is updated and republished with the latest and greatest birding ideas and activities for kids, along with the adults who act as their teachers, guides, mentors, and fellow nature explorers.

Please visit our About page to learn more about Rhythms of Play. For more information about this website and the author of these birdwatching activities for kids (and photographer of most of the photos), visit the Rhythms of Play home page or the author page: Nell Regan Kartychok.

More Outdoor Activities for Kids:

• Outdoor Learning and Nature Activities for Kids
• Nature Study for Kids
• Squirrel Facts and Activities for Kids
• Planting Sunflowers with Kids
• Search for Signs of Spring
• Skipping Stones
• Rock Balancing and Stone Stacking Art