Birding with kids – Kids Discover Nature

Quick & Fun Outdoor Activities for Kids

by Jodi Valenta

A few weeks ago I surveyed readers to determine their favorite outdoor activities to do with their children. The results showed that you overwhelmingly like camping and hiking. Frankly, I was surprised because these activities require a lot a preparation and planning. However, I totally get it because the rewards are great as both activities afford children an excellent opportunity to explore nature and spend valuable time with their families. Plus, summer is the perfect season for camping vacations and weekend hikes!

Now, with summer quickly winding down and children heading back to school, there will be less time to enjoy these activities and it will be harder to make time to enjoy the outdoors. All the demands of the school year have returned, with homework, after-school activities, less time off and, well, you know the drill. It makes the challenge of getting outside more difficult. However, with all those demands comes stress, so it’s even more important that kids (and you!) spend time in nature.

I thought it would be helpful if I provided a list of some outdoor activities for your children that don’t take much time or effort. They can be done even if you have only 30 minutes to spare one morning, afternoon or evening. Print it out and keep it on the fridge for quick reference for those days you need a quick idea.

1) Go for a walk around the neighborhood.
2) Explore your backyard with a magnifying glass.
3) Before bedtime, do a little stargazing on the front step.
4) Do some birding.
5) Pull weeds in the garden and look for bugs.
6) Look for interesting rocks and stones.
7) Play backyard games like tag or hide-and-seek.
8) Eat an afternoon snack outside on a blanket in the grass.
9) Try to catch butterflies with a butterfly net.
10) Spread a blanket out on the grass, lie down and look up at the clouds.

Not only are all of these activities fun, but they also promote relaxation, creativity and several include a splash of exercise!

Please comment on this post and add your own ideas. The school year is long, vacations are short, and we can all use some time to connect with nature, even if it’s only for a few minutes a day!

Birds

13 Tips for the Great Backyard Bird Count

by Editorial Staff

The Great Backyard Bird Count starts today and runs through February 17, 2020. It’s a great activity for kids, especially for those who live in the northern climes, when the temps are low and the winds do blow. It’s easy, fun and only takes 15 minutes of your time each day.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society together launched the Great Backyard Bird Count back in 1998. It was the first opportunity for citizens to collect data on wild birds and post it online. The uber cool thing is that results are displayed in near real-time.

More than 100,000 people from across the globe have joined the count each February. It’s important to bird conservation because it creates an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds. Having this data helps scientists understand the status of bird populations and develop conservation plans based on their needs and distribution.

Your kids can play a role in real scientific research. Here’s how to participate:

Go to the Great Backyard Bird Count page and register.
Count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or all of the days. You can count in the same location or anywhere else you happen to be.
Keep your lists tallied by species (i.e. – Cardinal, Black-Capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, etc.)
Enter your results on the GBBC website by clicking “Submit Observations” on the home page. Or download the free GBBC BirdLog app to enter data on a mobile device.
Download any of the helpful documents such as instructions, online bird guides, and helpful videos.
Go to the online world map via the GBBC landing page and watch near real-time submissions.
Read the results from previous year that are downloadable from the landing page.
Print out the participation certificate available on the website and have your kids fill it out.
Encourage them to enter the photo contest. They can also view photos of past winners.
Participate in local events if in your area. The list is available on the site.
Choose one species and spend time learning more about it.
Draw pictures or write stories and poems about the bird.
Go outside and refill the bird feeders when you finish counting. Birds depend on a specific food source all winter. Don’t let them down.

Join thousands of people world-wide and encourage your kids to “Count for the Birds!”

Nature Activities for Kids

Top 10 Earth Day Activities for Children

by Jodi Valenta

Happy Earth Day!
In our house, Earth Day is big! I was a child of the ’70s when the first one started, and my parents always made a point of teaching me that I needed to help care for the earth. As a result, I am environmentally conscious and I strive to teach my family how to be earth-friendly. Each Earth Day, we pay special homage to our Mother Earth by doing an earth-friendly activity. We have done many over the years, so I thought it would be helpful if I passed them on to you.

Top 10 Earth Day activities for children:

1) Plant a tree.
2) Go far a walk. Take a reusable bag with you and pick up garbage you see along the way.
3) Take your bottles, cans cardboard, etc. to the recycling center. Allow your children to keep the money you receive from returning any deposits.
4) Spend some time at your local nature center learning about native critters, plants, and trees. Better yet, volunteer to help plant a flower bed, clean up trash, or fill bird feeders.
5) Plant a vegetable garden. There are few things more earth-friendly than growing your own food, especially if you go organic!
6) Organize a play date in the outdoors. Work together to clean up an area of a local park.
7) Go to a natural food store and buy items to make an organic lunch, then go on a picnic.
8) Ask your kids to help you start composting. They can help dig up worms to add and add kitchen scraps each day.
9) Go for a bike ride instead of a drive in the car.
10) Pledge to spend more time outdoors with your kids!

Have a great day! And read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss to your kids tonight. 🙂

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Quick & Fun Outdoor Activities for Kids

13 Tips for the Great Backyard Bird Count

Top 10 Earth Day Activities for Children

Take the 30-Day Outdoor Challenge