Spring is an excellent time to get outdoors and enjoy the warmer weather and all it brings! Though some can be seen and heard year-round, we typically associate birds and their sweet songs with springtime. Did you know that there are more than 900 recorded species of birds in North America…and approximately 10,000 in the world?! That’s amazing! If you have an elementary-age child, this bird unit study would be a great addition to your homeschool this season! Applicable for grades PreK-5.
Download your Free Bird Unit Study eBook at the bottom of this article!
Bird Book List
Nonfiction:
- National Geographic Kids: First Big Book of Birds by Catherine D. Hughes
- National Geographic Kids: Everything Birds of Prey by Blake Hoena
- A Kid’s Guide to Backyard Birds by Eliza Berkowitz
- My Backyard Bird Book by Cheryl Johnson
- Words of the World – Birds by Motomitsu Maehara
- Feathers: A Beautiful Look at a Bird’s Most Unique Feature by Stan Tekiela
- The Little Book of Backyard Bird Songs by Andrea Pinnington and Caz Buckingham
- Beaks! by Sneed B. Collard III
- Birds, Nests, and Eggs by Mel Boring
- The Fantastic World of Birds of Prey by Paul Sweet
- Bird Detectives: Science Sleuths and Their Feathered Friends by Kristine Rivers
- How to Feed Backyard Birds: A Step-by-Step Guide for Kids by Chris Earley
Fiction:
- Bird Builds a Nest: A First Science Storybook by Martin Jenkins
- Do Not Wish For A Pet Ostrich! by Sarina Siebenaler
- Curly Crow Goes to the Beach by Nicholas Aragon
- Don’t Touch That Flower! by Alice Hemming
- The Little Bird Who Wanted to Fly by Breanna Churchill
- Fussy Flamingo by Shelly Vaughan James
- The Bird Feeder by Andrew Larsen
- Why Should I Walk? I Can Fly! by Ann Ingalls
- Winnie Goes to School by Joy K. Ball
- Broadway Bird by Alex Timbers
- Lundi the Lost Puffin by Eric Newman
- The Pigeon Needs a Bath by Mo Willems
Activity Books:
- Exploring Birds Activity Book for Kids: 50 Creative Projects to Inspire Curiosity & Discovery (Exploring for Kids Activity Books and Journals) by Kristine Rivers
- Birds Coloring Book by Wintoloono
- Bird Coloring Book For Kids: 40 Unique and Fun Images of Birds from North America and Around The World by Creative Nature Publishing
Bird Activities
- Make a Bird Feeder: There are so many ways to make a bird feeder. A simple way is to spread peanut butter or honey on a pinecone, paper cup, empty toilet paper roll, or bagel, roll it in birdseed, and hang it from a tree limb. You could also mix
unflavored gelatin and birdseed, stuff into a cookie cutter, stick a straw into the top to make a hole, place in the freezer for 20 minutes, set on the counter for 10 minutes, add a string to the hole, and hang it outside. - Make a Bird’s Nest: This is a fun STEM activity! Gather anything your kids think a bird could use to make its nest: twigs, leaves, feathers, straw, dried grass, etc. If you want, include some yarn or twine with the organic elements. Use a small round piece of a tree trunk or whatever you have as the center/base for added stability, then take your gathered ingredients and start winding them together to make a nest.
- Make a Circle Bird Craft: Your child can create his own bird using several different-sized circles! Cut out a large circle from cardboard and have your child color it. This will be the bird’s body. Cut out smaller circles from different colors of construction paper for the bird’s wings and tail feathers. Paste the cardboard circle body onto a piece of paper, fold the smaller circles in half, and paste them on for the wings and tail feathers, draw on a beak, legs, and feet, and finish by pasting on a googly eye.
- BONUS: Visit the Audubon for Kids website for loads of more activities and information!
Bird Snacks
- Owl Rice Cake Snacks: Spread peanut butter on one side of a rice cake. Add a small apple slice to each side for the wings, a small carrot triangle for the beak, banana slices with a blueberry in the middle for the eyes, and Cheerios in the shape of an inverted triangle for the chest feathers. I don’t know what your kids will enjoy more: making or eating the owls!
- No Bake Bird’s Nest Cookies: Add 2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut and 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to a bowl. Melt 1/2 cup of coconut oil in the microwave. Add the melted coconut oil and 1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey to the bowl and mix it all together. Add 3 tbsp of the bird’s nest mixture in each cup of a silicone-lined muffin tin. Using a butter knife, create a little well in the center of each cup. Add the tin to the freezer for 30 minutes until the nests are frozen and hard. Remove each nest from the liners and add a few yogurt-covered raisins or almonds for eggs. Serve immediately or keep stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
- Cheese and Cracker Chicks: Lay some spinach leaves on a plate for tree leaves. Top the leaves with round crackers and round slices of cheese. Cut small round carrot slices for the bird’s feet, add a small triangle for the bird’s beak, and 3 tiny rectangles for the bird’s head feathers. Enjoy your cute chicks!
