Exploring Birds with Young Children

Birds may be the animals most commonly observed by young children, especially in winter if the leaves are off most trees. Over time and repeated sightings, young children can identify common birds by shape and color without knowing the names of birds, and they begin to notice patterns of behavior (some hop on the ground, others always hide in a bush). Children "do" science and math when they document what they see using a tally chart and by making rubbings of bird shapes to share their “bird count."