Birding With Kids: 7 Reasons to Do It and How to Get Started

Bird watching is a simple way to add more nature to your family life.  Birding with kids is easy and inexpensive, and the rewards can last a lifetime!

Our family loves birding together, and the best part is that we never really schedule it in or plan for it.  We don’t even have to leave our house!  We simply provide the right materials and supplies, and the bird watching just sort of works its way into our every day lives.

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7 Reasons to Bird Watch with Your Kids

1. Birding is an easy way to add more nature to your life.
2. The whole family (even young children) can participate.
3. It can be done any time.
4. It can be done anywhere.  Birds live everywhere!
5. You don’t even have to leave your house.
6. Supplies are inexpensive.
7. Learning from real, live nature is more exciting (and long-lasting) than studying from a book.

Winter is Best

Winter is our family’s favorite time of the year for birding.  Bare trees make it easy to spot the birds, and with natural food sources in short supply, our feathered friends are eager to consume the seeds we provide.

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 You Will Need

• Bird feeder and/or suet cage
• Bird seed and/or suet cakes
• Identification guide(s)

Optional:

• Binoculars
• Activities (see below)

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This Red Bellied Woodpecker is a frequent visitor to our backdoor suet cage.

Getting Started

1.  Hang your feeder in a good spot.

Our feeders hang just outside the back door, over the back porch.  This allows for easy refilling, and the glass panes in our door provide a clear view.

• Your feeder should be easily visible from a common spot in your house.
• The location should allow for easy refilling of the feeder.
• Try to store the bird feed near the feeder.
• Remember that bird feed contains seeds.  The birds will eat many of the seeds, but some will fall on the ground below.  In other words, if there is soil under your bird feeder, a crop of weeds will grow there.

The feeder pictured below is one of many on my parents’ property.  This particular feeder is located directly outside their back door and is easily visible from the kitchen via a set of french doors.  The boys love to help Papa fill his feeders!  (Older Brother was barely two in this picture.) 

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2.  Remember to keep the feeders filled!  

• Storing the bird feed near the feeder will make this much easier.
• If possible, try to delegate this responsibility. <<wink>>
• Schedule feeder-filling into a daily or weekly routine.

3.  Build a good supply of bird resources.

You can find a few of our favorites here: Best bird guides for kids.

More about birding with kids

• Free printable bird activities
• Best bird guides for kids
• Favorite children’s books about birds
• Nesting materials project for kids

More about nature for kids

• How to plant a sunflower house
• 11 affordable nature gifts for kids
• Exploring nature with kids: take-along guides

Does your family enjoy birding?  What are your best tips?

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