How to Teach Your Child About Birds

Birds are a part of our outside environment that your child will probably see and ask about. Some things you may discuss with your child are the types of birds, colors of birds, sizes, what they eat and where they live. I am going to give you some simple ideas as how you can teach your child about birds.

One of the best ways to teach your child about birds is to read to them. Many books come with pictures, which make it easy for them to see and learn about birds. Some books that I would recommend are "What is a Bird" by Jennifer Day, "What Makes a Bird a Bird" by May Garelick and "The Remarkable Egg" by Adelaide Holl. You can find these books at your local library or bookstore.

Take a trip to the pet store, zoo or bird sanctuary. These are some great places you can take your child to learn about birds. Talk to your child about the different birds that they see. Discuss the colors, shape, sounds made, and what they eat. Often times they have a resource person such as a pet storeowner or bird watcher who will give information about birds.

Do an art activity involving the feathers of different birds. Often times you can get different feathers of birds from the pet store or zoo. Place the feathers along with some paint and paper on a table. Have your child paint using the different feathers. During the activity you can talk to your child about the colors, size and the texture of the feather.

Magnify the bird experience. Get feathers, eggshells, nests, worms, soil, sticks, birdseed and other bird related items and place them on a tray. Using a magnifying glass your child can observe and talk about what they see.

Go bird watching with your child. Find a place that has a lot of birds. Bring a couple of binoculars and look for different birds. Talk about what the birds look like and what they are doing. You can enhance this experience by taking picture of the birds and posting it in your child's room.

Incorporate math when learning about birds. For example, you can have a variety of different feathers. Have your child sort out the feathers according to size or color. After they are done sorting have them count how many feathers are in each pile.