Birdwatching: Fun for the Whole Family

If you want something to do with the kids now that spring is here, try birdwatching!

Image from Feathers and Friends

Birdwatching is an easy activity for all ages and doesn’t require any equipment to get started. It’s a fantastic way to get kids outside and connect them with nature, an excellent stress reliever. In addition, birdwatching helps kids understand how the environment works, creates empathy for other living things, and promotes patience. The best part is that it’s fun! 

    It’s easy to get started with these simple tips!

    1. Discover. Visit your local library, where you can grab a bird guide to help you identify the birds in your area. (Some libraries might even lend binoculars if you don’t own a pair.) You can also click here for some interesting bird facts. And don’t forget to visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which has a wealth of information on birds, birdwatching, an app to help you identify birds, and even live bird cams! 
    1. Join in. Visit the Audubon Society, which sponsors many local events and provides extensive information on getting started birding, identifying, and feeding birds. Join a local birdwatching club or connect with others through events sponsored by local nature preserves or environmental centers. 
    1. Build a birdhouse. There is no better way to get started than to bring the birds to your backyard. Check out this video to make your very own birdhouse! 
    1. Keep a bird log. Keeping a log is an interactive and entertaining way to document the birds you see in your backyard, local park, and even your state. Click here for your very own bird log!
    1. Get counting. Consider joining The Great Backyard Bird Count, an international bird-counting event that helps scientists better understand and protect birds.
    1. Make it fun. Using crafts to recreate some birds you see or hope to see is another way to learn more. Click here to make an eagle!

    These crafts and fact sheets are extension activities accompanying Language Lizard’s new bilingual book, Feathers and Friends. In this colorful birdwatching adventure, two children from different backgrounds bond through their shared interest in birds and creative arts. Feathers and Friends is available in English only and the following bilingual editions: Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Ukrainian, Russian, and Spanish, with many more languages coming soon.

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    Anneke Forzani founded Language Lizard (www.LanguageLizard.com) to provide educators, librarians, and parents with resources that develop literacy skills among English Language Learners, build inclusive classrooms, and celebrate cultural diversity. Language Lizard offers bilingual books in over 60 languages, multilingual audio resources, multicultural posters, and free lesson plans to support multicultural classrooms. The company also runs a blog (blog.languagelizard.com) for parents and teachers working with language learners and culturally diverse students. Anneke is the author of Building Bridges with Bilingual Books and Multicultural Resources (a manual to support culturally responsive teaching) and With Flying Colors: Color Idioms (a multicultural idiom book).
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