Learn about birds with your kids through the art of bird watching.

As a mother of young children, sometimes it was all I could manage just to feed my husband, my three children, and whatever pets we might have at the time. Had I known how much fun we could have had as a family feeding the birds, I would have added those tiny beaks to my feeding list.

We would have started by having a family time of sitting and watching for birds in our neighborhood. We could have used various books to identify those birds we saw, and kept a notebook for our own reference. Instead of having a television or computer to entertain us, we could have used the time to talk with each other and observe everyday things in nature that we often overlook.

Once we had identified several birds, we would then have decided which foods those birds ate, recording it in our notebook. We could have made a family trip and bought bird seed, or made our own. We would have learned how a bird digests its food, and would have understood how animals eat differently from us. By learning about a bird's nutrition, we might have become a little more interested in our own nutrition.

Next we would have built a birdhouse out of recycled plastic bottles or pinecones. We could have also installed a bird bath for thirsty birds. By physically creating our own feeders, we would have instilled a sense of responsibility in our children for the birds and their feedings.

We would have learned about the different kinds of birds and how to respect them. We would have learned about nesting, and made our own nests or provided the birds materials for making their own nests. We would have watched the nests, and observed and respected the mother bird and her babies.

By feeding and watching birds, we would have done more than just help out a part of nature. We would have spent time together, away from things that attract our attention away from each other. By caring for birds and their families, we would be taking care of our own family - strengthening our nest and keeping our children close until it's their time to fly on their own.

About the Author:

Luanne Davidson is the proud mother of three adult children and wonders what might have been if she had done a thing or two differently. She writes her "Coulda, Woudla, Shoulda" column each Thursday.

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Comments

Michelle commented, on June 5, 2008 at 8:21 p.m.:

Thanks for sharing, Torbjorn! I hope to see dancing ducks soon.

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