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NO WAY! Your favorite birds feeding right at your window?!

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Functions of parts of the egg:

Pores: air and moisture can pass through pores

Membrane: defense against bacteria

Yolk: nutrients

White: protection

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Let's Share a Story: "Ruby's Birds" | Let's Learn | PBS LearningMedia

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In this video from Let's Learn, author Mya Thompson reads her book, Ruby's Birds, which celebrates birds and bird-watching. After she reads, she shows pictures of real birds that can be found in New York City.

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Weather radar picks up flocks of birds. Click on this link to see how the birds are currently moving. This can also be used as a tool before you go out birding to see when there may be birds migrating to or through your area.

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Real-time analysis maps show intensities of actual nocturnal bird migration as detected by the US weather surveillance radar network between local sunset to sunrise. All graphics are relative to the Eastern time zone. When present, the red line moving east to west represents the timing of local sunset, the yellow line represents the timing of local sunrise. Areas with lighter colors experienced more intense bird migration. Orange arrows show directions to which birds flew. Green dots represent radar locations for which data are available; red dots represent radar locations with no data available. Note that many radars in mountainous areas (e.g. the Rockies) have obstructions that restrict radar coverage, providing the appearance of no migration where migration may be occurring.

Brighter colors indicates a higher migration traffic rate (MTR) expressed in units birds/km/hour. The migration traffic rate indicates the number of birds per hour that fly across a one kilometer line transect on the earth's surface oriented perpendicular to the direction of movement of the birds.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently produces these maps. Support for this research came from NASA, Edward W. Rose Postdoctoral Fellowship, and Amazon Web Services. The BirdCast project was created by grants from the National Science Foundation and supported by additional grants from Leon Levy Foundation.

To cite live migration map graphics, please use the following syntax:

Dokter, A. M. Year/s of live migration map image. BirdCast, live migration map; date and time (most easily accessible from image file name/s). Cornell Lab of Ornithology. https://birdcast.info/migration-tools/migration-forecast-maps. Date/s of access or download.

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See real-time analysis maps of intensities of actual nocturnal bird migration, as detected by the US weather surveillance radar network between local sunset to sunrise. Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently produces these maps.

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Learn more about nesting materials before taking your class out to look for nesting materials.

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Most birds build some kind of structure to contain their eggs and nestlings. A bird's nest may be as simple as a nighthawk's or Killdeer's depression on the ground, a hole in a tree excavated by a woodpecker, or an elaborate pouchlike nest woven by an oriole. The most familiar nest type is a cup made of vegetation and sometimes mud. Often, the outer layers are of coarse material, and the inside is lined with softer or finer material. Depending on the species, cup-nesters may hide their nests in trees or shrubs, build them on the ground, or place them in nest boxes or tree cavities.

If your yard has safe nest sites and adequate construction material, it will be more attractive to birds, including those that don't visit feeders.

Fallen leaves and twigs left unraked make excellent nest materials for many birds. Providing nooks in your backyard where this untidy debris can collect provides a variety of material for the birds to check out when they are building nests. They may even pick through your compost pile looking for suitable nest material.

You can also put out concentrated stashes of nest material.

Do provide any combination of the following:

Dead twigs

Dead leaves

Dry grass (make sure the grass hadn't been treated with pesticides)

Feathers

Plant fluff or down (e.g. cattail fluff, cottonwood down)

Moss

Bark strips

Pine needles

Don't provide:

plastic strips

tinsel

cellophane

aluminum foil

dryer lint

Among the materials birds occasionally use in their nests are snakeskin (especially favored by Great Crested Flycatchers), and spider silk (especially used by small birds, including hummingbirds). The latter holds the other nesting materials together while making a tiny nest stretchy enough to accommodate growing nestlings. Providing a safe environment for spiders will enhance nesting opportunities for these birds. Barn and Cliff Swallows, phoebes, and robins use mud to construct their nests. You might consider creating or keeping a muddy puddle in your garden for them.. Birds may also use plastic strips, cellophane, and aluminum foil, but we don't recommend that you offer these materials. Also, don't offer dryer lint. It may seem nice and fluffy, but becomes crumbly after it's rained on and dries.

Do provide nesting material in any of the following ways:

in piles on the ground (works well for leaves and twigs)

in clean wire-mesh suet cages, or in mesh bags hung on tree trunks, fence posts, or railings

pushed into tree crevices

draped over vegetation

in open-topped berry baskets

spiral wire hangers made especially for putting out nest material (one type looks like an oversized honey-dipper)

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Providing Nest Material for Birds: Dos & Don'ts

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Rufous Hummingbird by Penny Hall/Birdshare. Most birds build some kind of structure to contain their eggs and nestlings.

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Dissect eggs. Tell students that baby birds come from eggs, but the eggs we have today are unfertilized, so there will not be any baby birds. Teacher can first crack open a raw egg to show the egg. Point out the shell, membrane of shell, white, and yolk. Pass out hard boiled eggs (use hard boiled eggs to avoid chance of salmonella), magnifying glasses, and plastic knives to students. Students can use the magnifying glasses to study the pores of the egg and then break open their eggs and use plastic knives for children to dissect their own eggs. Children can eat hard boiled egg for snack afterwards.

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We really enjoyed the extra information in the back of the book. Make sure to read Ruby's tips for taking a nature walk.

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What in nature makes you smile?

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This book contains a scavenger hunt of common birds.  Can you find them?  Have you ever seen any of these birds outside?

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Sometimes when looking for birds we have to be patient and quiet.  Have there been times when you have had to be patient?

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Talk about migration.  Do you know any other animals that migrate?  What do other animals do to get ready for winter?

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Oftentimes we can hear birds before we see them.  What sort of noises do you hear outside?

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1 Sit down in circle, give hi fives, introduce self and parks with a map and show Ruby’s Birds book

2  Refer to when Ruby goes to the park and sees the warbler and ask if the children ever see birds outsides

3 Ask children what they know about birds and expand on the observations accordingly.  This can be guided by the interest of children.  Natural objects related to birds can be brought to share during this conversation.  (Eg: wings, eggs, feathers, feet)  Share feathers and mention that what really makes an animal a bird is if it has feathers.

4 Ask what noises birds make.  Children will usually tweet.  The ask what noises other birds children know make.  (owls, ducks, chickens, etc)  Ask if all of these noises are the same or different.  All birds sound different.  Reference page in the book where the bird could be seen before heard and the noise it made.

5 If the children have the focus for it an alterative or additional activity can be listening to a recording of birds singing.

6Introduce the concept that all birds have beaks and their beaks are kind of like tools.  Use owl, woodpecker, and hummingbird as example.  While discussing their diet and beak type, share study skins.

7 break out into 3 stations to do the fill the bill activity.  Use owl (scissors), woodpecker (tweezers), and hummingbird (pipette) for bill stations.

8 Thank the children.  Encourage them to continue exploring birds.  Remind them that they are always welcome to come to the park to look for birds or play

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All birds have different songs. Birders use something called mnemonics to make it easier to learn bird songs. Mnemonics are a series of words that when said replicate the pattern of bird calls. This sheet has some mnemonics for common bird songs.

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Favorite foods: seeds and fruit

favorite place to live: dense shrubby areas

call pneumonic: birdie, birdie, birdie

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Click on link to learn more about the cardinal.

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Northern Cardinal Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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The male Northern Cardinal is perhaps responsible for getting more people to open up a field guide than any other bird. They're a perfect combination of familiarity, conspicuousness, and style: a shade of red you can't take your eyes off. Even the brown females sport a sharp crest and warm red accents.

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favorite food: seeds, berries, insects
favorite place to live: woods
mnemonic call: chicka-dee-dee-dee

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Click to learn more about the chickadee.

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Black-capped Chickadee Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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A bird almost universally considered "cute" thanks to its oversized round head, tiny body, and curiosity about everything, including humans. The chickadee's black cap and bib; white cheeks; gray back, wings, and tail; and whitish underside with buffy sides are distinctive.

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Common Birds: Gold Finch, Chickadee, Cardinal

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Common Birds: Gold Finch, Chickadee, Cardinal

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Birds have may different songs. Your Audubon puppet only contains the bird's most common song. Go to the sound section of the linked pages to hear the others

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favorite food: seeds
favorite place to live: weedy fields
call mnemonic: po-ta-to chip
tip: if you are looking for gold finches in the winter, remember that they molt their feathers twice yearly.  When they grow in their winter feathers they will appear brown in color.

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The golden winged warbler isn't the only gold bird in Ohio. Ohio is also home to the gold finch. Click on the link the learn more about the gold finch.

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American Goldfinch Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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This handsome little finch, the state bird of New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington, is welcome and common at feeders, where it takes primarily sunflower and nyjer. Goldfinches often flock with Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls. Spring males are brilliant yellow and shiny black with a bit of white.

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The Audubon Society produces plush birds that make realistic calls.  This set features some of our most common birds: chickadees, gold finches, and cardinals.  These plush can be a nice addition to the classroom.  Interacting with realistic representatives of animals can be a good way for children to bond with nature. These plush can be used to familiarize children with the birds in the area and learn that birds make different calls.

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Activities: Using the Audubon Plushes to Learn Common Birds

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Activities: Using the Audubon Plushes to Learn Common Birds

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Even the experienced birder would consider themselves lucky to glimpse a golden winged warbler.  Finding one takes incredible luck and persistence.  Your class will likely not encounter any while birding.  Worry not though, there are many exciting birds that are far more common to Ohio than the elusive golden winged warbler.  Below is some information about a couple of more common birds in Ohio.  A great way to start out can be to bring some realistic representatives of birds such as the plush linked below.

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Real Binoculars can be finicky and difficult to properly adjust.  Something like this can be easier for young children to use.   It can help kids focus and add a prop to your birding adventure.

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DIY Craft: How to Make Cardboard Binoculars for Kids

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Create a fun pair of paper binoculars using materials from around the house. Now your child is ready for a birding adventure!

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Build a bird nest.  This can be done outside on a large scale or by bringing in some small sticks and materials into the classroom to do it on a small scale. Encourage children to go outside with you to collect materials for their nest. Birds will make their nest out of about anything they can find including twigs, moss, bark, pine needles, and feathers. Read link below to learn more about materials for nests and ways to help birds build their nests.

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Nest Building Activity for Kids

This activity is not only part of our free March Activities Calendar, but the full version is a beloved part of our Winter Animal Superheroes class curriculum. We love it for many reasons, but maybe the biggest is that it just gets us connected to the amazing creatures around us and gets us all ready for Spring!

Anyone who spends time with young children knows that they are fascinated by animals. There are many ways to think about why that is so, from survival instincts (humans are wired to notice animals so we can identify prey and predator) to the biophilia hypothesis (i.e. humans, by nature, love nature) to social connection (children can relate to a creature that is "on their level"). No matter the reason, the love is there.

Among animals, birds are particularly fascinating. They come in a variety of colors, make captivating sounds and, gasp, fly! Plus, they also do remarkable things like build nests-cozy, pop-up architectural marvels that are triumphs of spring time. Engage your child in noticing and wondering about how these already fascinating creatures build these homes. Then, better yet, play bird together.

Young children will love being part of making a human-sized nest and playing mama and baby bird, likely for hours on end. Do this in a group, and the social learning really takes flight. And, if you have kids 2 and under in your group, they too can help and benefit as you gather materials.

1. Learn about birds nests: We love to learn in two ways: reading and observing. Start out by reading a book like Mama Built a Little Nest by Jennifer Ward. Enjoy the rich language and images, wondering together about the birds and their homes.

2. Learn through observation: Take a walk and search for birds' nests in your local green space. We are big fans of wearing "Tinkergarten binoculars" (two toilet paper rolls taped together). Give kids ribbon or colorful fabric to place at the base of a tree that holds a nest and let children share their findings with the group.

3. Wonder together: Isn't it amazing that little birds can create these wonderful homes just out of the objects in nature? Do you think we could make a nest big enough for us out of the objects here in our classroom? Ask questions and reflect on what you read and noticed in your walk to help form a plan: What materials will we need? Where can we find them? Should we get started?

4. Gather materials: Gather sticks, grass, dried leaves and bits of things to use in the nest. Carry materials in your "beaks" (i.e. two hands near your mouth) to get closer to the bird's experience. Tweet as much as you like.

5. Start to build: Once you have materials gathered, wonder together what shape the nest should be. Work as a group to create an outline of that shape on the ground, letting kids lead as much as possible. Then, keep adding sticks to the shape to create a thick outline. Wonder what kind of inside you'd want for the eggs. Gather soft and light materials and fill in the inside of the nest.

6. Play bird! Once the nest is complete, children can enjoy playing mother bird, sitting on imaginary eggs. Or, kids can be the baby birds, chirping for their snack. With little modeling required, let the play, quite literally, take flight.

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Build A Nest Activity For Kids | Tinkergarten

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"A Nest for Explorers", Tinkergarten's engaging nest building activity for kids develops creative thinking, transporting, connection making and teamwork skills.

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Why is it Important for Kids to go Birding?

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Why is it Important for Kids to go Birding?

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From building critical observation skills to connecting with nature, birding is an often overlooked but amazingly rewarding hobby. A year-round activity, birding is an excellent family activity that will bring rewards for years to come. Here are just a few of the many reasons to start your child on birding.
Birding helps kids tune in to nature
To find birds, you have to listen. You have to look, first for sudden movements, and then focus in on the bird to look for distinguishing marks, colors, behavior. In essence, you have to tune in to nature to be a birder. Tuning in to the sights, smells and sounds of nature is beneficial for your child from improving attention and focus abilities to sensory processing function. But it doesn't always come easily. Patience is key to a quality experience of tuning in to nature. And what child couldn't use a little more work at developing patience?
Build powers of observation and develops attention to details
There are about 10,500 species of birds in the world. Some are of course ubiquitous and easy to identify like a robin. But believe us, birding can be as much of a challenge as you make it. Many species look almost identical, perhaps a faint eyering distinguishes the species from other species. Characteristics like color, markings, size, shape, calls, songs, behaviors are all critical to bird ID. Even within a single species of bird, plumage will change depending on the season, sex and stage of development. The key-being a good observer and paying close attention to details, both in the field guide (or ID cards) and in nature.
Birding doesn't require lots of equipment
Forget expensive skis or mountain bikes. To go birding, a simple pair of binoculars and a decent reference book or card is all you need. As your child gets more interested and experienced, they might want to upgrade their binoculars or get a spotting scope.

Bird identification books, or field guides, list birds by region and help you tell ID birds with physical characteristics, calls, songs, maps of seasonal bird territory and preferred habitat. Peterson's Guides are considered the "bible" for many birders, though there are many excellent alternatives.

But even an ID book isn't critical initially as there are a host of websites and online resources such as this excellent online guide from Audubon with you need to know the birds in your area. Also, it's becoming more common for nature-friendly libraries to lend out bird watching kits with binoculars and bird guides so you might want to start there first!
Birds are always around us (& often taken for granted)
From your backyard to parks in Paris or salt flats in Chile, birds live there! Almost any habitat has a variety of birds. Birds are always around us, yet most kids (and adults) never "see" them. Sure, they might know a sparrow or a pigeon. But there are nearly 1000 species of birds in North America , 10,500 species of birds in the world. City dwellers don't get a free "clueless" pass. NYC claims nearly 400 species of birds. Central Park is a birding hotspot as it's a flyover zone for birds.
You can head out to see birds any season of the year
No matter where you are or what season, birds are probably right outside your door. E ven in the dead of winter, look outside and see wintering birds like cardinals, sparrows, starlings, juncos, depending on where you live. Birding is a year-round activity. You can head out to see warblers in the spring, head out to see hawk migration in the fall, owls in the winter, shorebirds in the summer, etc etc etc. A highlight of birding is, of course, Fall Migration and Spring Migration, events that move billions of migrants around North America alone. Experiencing migration with your kids can open up endless inquiries as it is truly fascinating. How do birds navigate to the same spot each year? How do small birds like hummingbirds make it across continents?
Birds are disappearing
These are critical times for birds. Not enough attention is given to the astounding fact that humans are decimating populations of birds due to the way we live on this planet. A new large-scale shows that bird populations in North America are undergoing massive and unsustainable declines. The populations of more than 75 percent of songbirds and other birds that rely on agricultural habitat in North America have significantly declined since 1966. The culprit: the world's most widely used insecticide.
Kids need to know what's in their backyard
When you know the species in your own backyard, or neighborhood park or forest, you're more likely to feel A a connection to nature. Yet, oddly, many American children know the animals of Africa, but not the birds in their neighborhood. study looking at children's attitudes toward local wildlife surveyed 2,759 children across North Carolina. Researchers observed that children thought more favorably of faraway charismatic species, such as pandas and cheetahs than local ones. Interestingly, researchers also looked at whether a child's attitudes regarding nature were influenced by where the child lived and found that all children, regardless of their neighborhood, were equally disconnected from local wildlife.

Birding is not easy but it is incredibly rewarding when you learn more species and know what you're looking at in nature. It's also crucial for the future of our earth. If we raise a generation of birders who care about the fate of birds, who appreciate their innate beauty and their rightful place on our planet, we might move toward being a more caring and careful society. But only if we can "see" the birds around us.

Ready to start? Check out our other birding pieces:

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Why Your Kids Need to Go Birding - Childhood By Nature

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Birding helps kids tune in to nature To find birds, you have to listen. You have to look, first for sudden movements, and then focus in on the bird to look for distinguishing marks, colors, behavior. In essence, you have to tune in to nature to be a birder.

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Something like this can be a lot easier for young children than learning to identify specific types of birds.

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Part of being a scientist is asking questions.  Encourage students to make observations and ask questions.  For young children there can be more value in noticing and asking questions than learning to identify specific birds.  Prompts to encourage children to observe: What colors do you see?  What is the bird doing?  What do you like about this bird? Drawing what you see can be another great way to practice observation skills.

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How many birds do you see?  Count the birds you see.  See how many birds you can find.

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This guide shows other Warblers that can be found in Ohio. Use the PDF or contact the Ohio Department of Natural resources to receive a free hard copy for your classroom.

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Golden winged warblers live primarily in South America, but migrate in the summer.  Migration is when animals go on a long journey to somewhere new for a certain part of the year.  Golden Winged Warblers migrate up to the northern part of the United States to mate in the spring.  In the map of the golden winged warbler range the blue section is where they live in the winter.  The yellow section is the area they travel through in their journey, and the red section is where they go to mate.  Other kinds of birds, salmon, and butterflies also migrate.

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Ruby Could hear the Golden winged warbler before she could see it.  Click here to hear it's song.

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Golden-winged Warbler Sounds, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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A boldly marked warbler with a color pattern all its own, Golden-winged Warblers are slim, silvery gray birds with golden flashes on the head and wings. They breed in wet, shrubby tangles of the Upper Midwest and Appalachians, and spend winters in open woodlands and shade-coffee plantations.

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Ruby is looking for a golden winged warbler.  These birds can be found in Ohio as well in the summer months.  They eat caterpillars, insects, and spiders.  They like to build their nests on the ground.  They are most found in open shrubby areas.  They are considered to be near threatened.  Click on the photo to learn more about the golden winged warbler.

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Golden-winged Warblers are small songbirds with fairly slim bodies and short tails. They have a thin, straight bill that is sharply pointed.

Relative Size

Slightly smaller than a Black-capped Chickadee

sparrow-sized or smaller

Measurements

Both Sexes

Length: 5.1 in (13 cm)

Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (8-11 g)

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Golden-winged Warbler Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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A boldly marked warbler with a color pattern all its own, Golden-winged Warblers are slim, silvery gray birds with golden flashes on the head and wings. They breed in wet, shrubby tangles of the Upper Midwest and Appalachians, and spend winters in open woodlands and shade-coffee plantations.

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In the book Ruby's Birds, she is looking for the golden winged warbler. Learn more about the golden winged warbler.

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These kits contain additional specimens and activities about birds you can do in your own classroom. They are free to be borrowed from Five Rivers MetroParks for a period of two weeks.

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Hands-on exploration of history, nature and conservation Families, local educators and youth group leaders can borrow a variety of hands-on education kits for use with children in grades K-12. These kits provide teaching tools to help kids explore history, nature and conservation subjects through hands-on experiments and activities.

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Five Rivers MetroParks did a series of videos with think tv to create a virtual winter camp. Among these is several videos about finding birds in the winter.

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Even when it's cold outside, you can still stay connected with nature! This virtual winter camp experience features learning themes focused on the season of winter. Ava, the enthusiastic camp counselor, leads campers through fun explorations of the wonders of the winter through videos, games and at home activities.

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This episode of nature cat takes us into the forest.  It includes a bird watching trip with Five Rivers MetroParks naturalists Joshua and Erin.  Skip to 10:55 for bird hike section.

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Forests are ecosystems that can be found almost everywhere. Today we are going to learn about ecosystems, take a walk in a forest, find a forest in a city, do nature crafts, and go mountain biking! We're so glad you joined us for another fun day at virtual camp!

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Download the merlin app. This can be used to play the songs of birds or can listen and identify the songs of the birds you are hearing.

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Merlin Bird ID - Free, instant bird identification help and guide for thousands of birds

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Bird ID Wizard-Step-by-step

Answer three simple questions about a bird you are trying to identify and Merlin will give you a list of possible matches. Merlin offers quick identification help for all levels of bird watchers and outdoor enthusiasts to help you learn about the birds in any country in the world.

Identify Bird Songs and Calls

Sound ID listens to the birds around you and shows real-time suggestions for who's singing. Compare your recording to the songs and calls in Merlin to confirm what you heard. Sound ID works completely offline, so you can identify birds you hear no matter where you are.

Available for birds in the US, Canada, Europe, with some common birds of Central and South America, and India. More species and regions coming soon.

Identify Birds in a Photo

Snap a photo of a bird, or pull one in from your camera roll, and Photo ID will offer a short list of possible matches. Photo ID works completely offline, so you can identify birds in the photos you take no matter where you are.

Save Birds to Your Life List

Build a digital scrapbook of your birding memories with Save My Bird. Tap "This is my bird!" each time you identify a bird, and Merlin will add it to your growing life list.

Explore Lists of Birds Near You

Merlin is powered by eBird, allowing you to build custom lists of the birds you're likely to spot wherever you are. Use the filter options to explore birds for different locations or time of year, or switch to show all the species in the Bird Packs you've downloaded. Get more from the app with these Merlin Tips and Tricks.

See How Merlin Can Help You ID Birds

The Best Birding App, Powered By You

Merlin features the best of community contributed photos, songs, and calls, tips from experts around the world to help you ID the birds you see, and range maps from Birds of the World-all powered by billions of bird observations submitted to eBird.

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Bird ID Wizard-Step-by-step Answer three simple questions about a bird you are trying to identify and Merlin will give you a list of possible matches. Merlin offers quick identification help for all levels of bird watchers and outdoor enthusiasts to help you learn about the birds in any country i

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Reading Ruby's Birds is a great opportunity to practice dialogic reading.

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Dialogic Reading: An Effective Way to Read Aloud with Young Children

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Dialogic reading works. Children who have been read to dialogically are substantially ahead of children who have been read to traditionally on tests of language development. Children can jump ahead by several months in just a few weeks of dialogic reading.

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Five Rivers MetroParks Teacher Resources

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Five Rivers MetroParks Teacher Resources

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Community Resources | Five Rivers MetroParks

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Five Rivers MetroParks has developed a 10-year comprehensive master plan to guide the future of its parks, facilities and services and will to ensure our resources are aligned with current and future trends, community values, and the Montgomery County region's changing demographics.

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This free field guide can help you identify some of the most common birds you may see.  This can be downloaded or educators can request the Ohio Division of Natural Resources to send a free copy.

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Check out our Padlet for the book Girl vs Squirrel.  It contains more activities including birds with a focus on setting up bird feeders and observing.

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In the book Ruby's Birds, Ruby can't see the bird at first, but she can hear it. Have the class find a comfy spot to sit down and close tier eyes for a minute. Just focus on the things around you. What do you hear? Birds? Wind? Crickets? Afterwards allow time to share what is heard. Kids can imitate the sound they heard to share.

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If you are able to, nothing beats going out into nature and seeing birds for yourself. Birds are all around us. Step outside and see if you can find any. You probably will, but even if you don't see any birds, spending time out in nature is never a loss.

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Birds have wings. Make a pair of wings to wear. Kids can use these to pretend to fly like a bird.

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DIY Nature Wings | Kaplan Early Learning Company

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Let your creativity take flight with the DIY Nature Wings activity! This fun and simple craft creates a perfect opportunity for outdoor learning and nature exploration.

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Birds have claws or talons. Make bird tracks to create claws or talons.

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Play Dough Bird Tracks sensory STEAM Station explores scientific reasoing and fine motor skills with play dough and sticks to make bird tracks.

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This story talks about all of the different things we can see about eggs and the diversity of eggs.  This book is great because of the way it uses descriptive words which can be great to think about when preparing to make observations.

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An Egg Is Quiet - Aston, Dianna Hutts - Introduces readers to more than 60 types of eggs and an array of egg facts.

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This is a story of activism and how a family is able to take many small actions in order to help the birds. Included in the story are many small things that we can be doing to help the birds around us.

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A Garden to Save the Birds - Dayton Metro Library

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A Garden to Save the Birds - McClure, Wendy, - After a bird flies into their window, two children and their mother study how to keep birds safe, and soon their whole neighborhood is helping in different ways.

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This book tells the story of a young boy who loves birds and his journey towards accepting himself and making friends. It has a message of self acceptance and expression. Great book for the begining of the school year or if your class is welcoming a new student.

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Bird Boy - Burgess, Matthew, - A new boy nicknamed Bird Boy by teasing classmates enjoys imaginative flights as various birds, gaining self-confidence and new friends.

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This is a great book to read before taking your class bird watching.  It is a beautifully illustrated book that introduces some of the most common birds around us.

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VanDerwater, Amy Ludwig,VanDerwater, Amy Ludwig,

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Every Day Birds — VanDerwater, Amy Ludwig, — “Young readers are fascinated with birds in their world. Every Day Birds helps children identify and learn about common birds. After reading Every Day Birds, families can look out their windows with curiosity--recognizing birds and nests and celebrating t…

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What makes an animal a bird?  Feathers!  There are other animals that lay eggs or have beaks or build nests, but only birds have feathers. This project is a nice way to work with and explore feathers while making art.

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Explore visual arts with your preschoolers while learning about birds with this Feather Painting for Kids. You're definitely not going to want to miss this quick and easy painting for kids activity that's perfect for your next safari preschool theme!

We're working on wrapping up our safari preschool theme and this week, we're going on a "Backyard Safari," which means topics such as Grass, Bird, Water, Beetle, and Tree.

Today's feather painting activity was not only an engaging and hands-on way to learn more about birds, but it was also great for strengthening fine motor skills.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if an item is purchased through one of these links. For more information, please see my full disclosures. A huge thanks to Experience Early Learning (formerly Mother Goose Time) for providing us with their Experience Preschool curriculum for free in exchange for sharing our honest and authentic stories resulting from our personal experiences. It's been such a huge blessing to us! As always, my opinions on awesome stuff for little kids are 100% my own.
We love open-ended art activities like this feather painting. Children get the opportunity to practice important early learning skills such as creative thinking, problem-solving, and of course fine motor skills in a fun and meaningful way.

Preschoolers really do learn best through play and process art is perfect for keeping little hands busy during read alouds. Painting activities are a great sensory experience as well as a unique opportunity to explore new materials and mediums.

Feather Painting for Kids

Supplies

Set out paper, feathers, and paint on a tray. Encourage the child to explore the feathers and paint. Paint with feathers.

Feather activities for preschoolers are perfect for just about any theme that includes birds. You can use activities with feathers to learn about going on safari or even visiting the zoo.

Don't forget to check back if you're interested in seeing what we're up to next week with our safari theme from Experience Preschool!

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Feather Painting for Kids - The Keeper of the Memories

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Explore visual arts with your preschoolers while learning about birds with this Feather Painting for Kids. You're definitely not going to want to miss this quick and easy painting for kids activity that's perfect for

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What kind of things do bird have? Wings.  Beaks.  Talons.  Eggs.  Feathers.  All of these are things that birds have.  Use these activities to explore different features of birds.

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We hoped you enjoyed the book Ruby's Birds. These were some of our favorite parts:

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Hi all!  This Padlet provides additional resources to accompany the book Ruby's Birds.  Ruby's Bird's is a great book to use to talk about birds, the concept of migration, or how sometimes when exploring nature we need to listen and be paitent.