If you’re looking for resources for Learning about Birds, you’re in the right place. I have taken my wildly popular bird unit from back when I was an elementary school teacher and added new resources to it. It’s a great one to use in your classroom, easily adapted to grades from Kindergarten through 4th Grade.
There are activities for making bird-related recipes, crafts, STEM projects, and more. We’ve got some free printables including a bird-watching bingo game, coloring sheets, and more. If you want to teach your kids about birds, whether in a classroom, homeschool or just because you have an avid bird fan at home, these are some great resources to choose from.
I’ve joined up with a great group of bloggers who have come together to give you a wide variety of easy ideas you can use right now in your home or classroom. You can find all of the ideas for elementary-age students as well as tweens and teens here.
Learning About Birds
Below you will find recommended books, activities, and snacks/lunch ideas all related to birds!
Disclosure: Some of the links in the post below are affiliate links provided for your convenience. This means that if you purchase something through one of these links, I get a small commission at no added cost to you.
Books about Birds
Teacher Recommended, Kid Approved!
Don’t forget that if you can’t find the books in your local bookstore, you can order them online. Many are available on Kindle as well! And of course, you can check your local library too.
Snacks / Lunches
Bird-shaped sandwiches – use bird-shaped cookie cutters or trace around cardboard templates.
Try your hand at nest making!
If you can safely gather up some natural materials in your backyard, that in itself can be a great way to get the kids outside and active. Let them try using those items to build their own bird’s nest.
If you can’t go out, try finding some things around the house – scrap paper, yarn, and other bits and pieces can also be used in place of the natural items. Of course, getting to see a real bird’s nest would be fantastic. You might have one in your yard that can be observed from a safe distance without disturbing the birds.
When you can, a visit to a local wildlife education center would be another great way to get a close up look at different types of birds’ nests. In the meantime, there are quite a few time-lapse videos on Youtube showing birds buildings nests like this one.
Make bird feeders.
Reminder: Don’t put the feeders out unless you have access to bird seed and can keep them filled. Birds will come to depend on them.
Milk or juice carton bird feeder
Pinecone bird feeder – Tie yarn or thread around one end of the pinecone to form a hanger. Spread peanut butter or sunflower seed butter all over the pinecone. You can use a popsicle stick to make it less messy. Roll the pinecone in birdseed. Hang in a tree.
Cheerios strings – String Cheerios on a piece of yarn. Tie the two ends of yarn together and hang in a tree.
Paint a birdhouse – when able to go to a store (or if they’re delivering) dollar stores often carry plain wooden ones for painting. You can also order (but they’re more expensive) from Amazon.
Make Clothespin Bird Buddies.
These clothespin bird buddies are quick and easy to make. You probably have what you need on hand, but the dollar store or Amazon can certainly provide you with the rest. Can’t get the supplies there? Try using what you do have – construction paper, magazine pages, cereal boxes and so on.
Go bird watching.
Make binoculars and go bird-watching. If you can go for a walk safely, head on out and start looking for some birds. If not, how about looking for birds in your backyard or through your window?
None of the above are possibilities? Have an indoor bird hunt! Print out pictures of birds and hide them around the house. Let the kids go looking for them and see how many they can find. No printer? Get the kids to draw their own birds and then you hide those for your bird-watching session.
TIP: Unsplash is a great place to find beautiful copyright-free bird images you can use in your bird unit.
Check out these fun activities from Museum London:
They are offering their Imagination Station at Home and one week’s theme was birds. It includes a checklist (with images) for finding birds in your backyard, an I Spy page, a lesson on how to draw a bird, and a craft idea for making a bird from scrap yarn. In addition, it includes an observation lesson to go along with one of the paintings from the museum.
Bird Watching Bingo:
You can cut it up into squares or rows/columns and give one to each child to look for or have everyone try to fill the entire sheet as a family!
Find the free printable here: Bird Watching Bingo
If you can’t head outside, check out these live bird webcams and do some bird-watching there instead.
Looking for some FREE bird-themed coloring sheets to use with your kids? Head on over to our site Creative Cynchronicity and grab them here: Bird-Themed Coloring Pages