Get Ready For Birdwatching!
The purpose of the Birdwatching Playdatebox is to help create a “Spark Moment” for you and a grandchild. A spark moment is known by birders as the moment you really take a close look at a bird for the first time and your mind opens up in a whole new way. You will be hooked on the beauty of birds for the rest of your life! Most birders can recall this moment with clarity. It’s often associated with a nostalgic story they recall well into adulthood.
Imagine being the source of opening up your grandchild’s mind to this beautiful and interesting world! Imagine opening up your own mind to this kind of wonder. The Birdwatching Playdatebox is going to help you get started.
I still can’t see a bufflehead without thinking, “Hey, there’s a bubblehead” and remembering cold winds, a warm car, and time with my father.
What Can You Put in Your Birdwatching PlaydateBox?
The Birdwatching Playdatebox and accompanying Newsletter include enough fun for several playdates. Try just one, or create some intentional time and explore several of them:
- Feathers For Lunch – A Read-Aloud Picture Book by Lois Ehlert
- Your own birdfeeder observation station (one for you and one for a grandchild)
- Bird Nest Game – Move the eggs into their matching nests in this cooperative counting and color matching game
- Birdwatching Journal – Download a copy and go birdwatching to find birds that live in your neighborhood
- Our Birdwatching Newsletter which includes:
- Our Favorite Bird ID App – Merlin Bird ID
- Birdseed Cookies recipe
- Birdhouse decoupage art project instructions
- How to choose great children’s binoculars
The presence of a single bird can change everything for one who appreciates them.
Playdate #1 - Enjoy a Favorite Read-Aloud About Birds
Feathers For Lunch
An house cat sneaks outside to find lunch and finds lots of beautiful backyard birds. But he only gets feathers for lunch.
Feathers For Lunch
With the help of a neighbor, Ruby finds birds in her own urban neighborhood. This is the story of her “Spark Moment.”
You Nest Here With Me
A rhyming book about baby birds and sleepy children safe in their own beds.
An Egg Is Quiet
Introduce your child to the world of amazing and interesting eggs. Elegant design and rhyming text.
Playdate #2: Set Up a Bird Observation Station
This clever little birdfeeder is a deceptively simple tool for making birdwatching part of your regular routine. Attach it to the outside of a window, fill it with birdseed, and wait a few days until the birds discover their new food source. Before long, you’ll have a front-row seat for watching your own backyard birds.
Note: Wash your hands carefully every time you handle the birdfeeder. It’s best to clean it out of doors in a solution of warm water and dishsoap mixed with a little bleach. Rinse it thoroughly before re-hanging it.
Playdate #3 - Download a Bird ID app and print out a birdwatching journal
You can download your own copy of our Birdwatching Journal. Take it on your birdwatching outing and start recording your own scientific observations about the birds you see. Or, keep notes on the birds you observe from your own windows.
The Merlin Bird Id App
There are several free bird identification apps available, but we’ve had a lot of fun with Cornell University’s Merlin Bird ID app. The easy-to-use interface makes identifying a bird simple, and we’ve had great success using it with kids.
Download the app at https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/download/
Playdate #4 - Plan an Outing and Look for Birds
The photograph above was snapped the day I took Grandpa Jim (my father, age 83) and my own grandson (age 3) to feed the ducks. One of my daughters is also in the photo. I don’t have my own “Spark Moment” but I do have this image. There were four generations of us out on a spring day feeding popcorn to the ducks at a nearby pond, and the moment is even more precious because Grandpa Jim passed away this year.
He was suffering from dementia at the time, but he was thrilled to be out-of-doors on a warm spring day, and the rest of us were too.
If you only ever have a single birdwatching day, you will not be sorry. You can make the adventure as simple as a trek to the park to feed the ducks, or as grandiose as a visit to a bird refuge or aviary. Older children might appreciate a hike in the woods or near a marsh with a good pair of binoculars for each of you and some snacks to help pass the time. I hope you’ll schedule an outing of your own and let me know in the comments how it turns out. Did the day spark for you?
Playdate #5 - Play the Bird Nest Game
If you haven’t had enough fun yet, try this adorable Egg Matching Game created by Grandma RaRa. It will help your preschooler learn colors, counting, and more. Colorful eggs are provided with your Playdatebox purchase, but if you didn’t happen to order a box, you can still play. SweeTarts Jelly Beans happen to come in all of the right colors. Don’t eat your pieces until you finish playing!
The game is designed to play in 3 levels, so depending on your child’s age, you can adapt the game so that it is more challenging, or a little bit easier to play.
More Playdates from the Blog!
Make a decoupage birdhouse - Fun Remote Activity!
You can make a fun decoupage birdhouse, and this project is simple enough you can do it via videoconference if you don’t live near your grandchildren. Click here for easy instructions!
Out of My Nest: Movement Activity for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Try this fun game with a preschooler. You’ll need a couple of small “goals” or items to represent your “nest.” You’ll also need a soccer ball or other ball for each player. A fun way to get outside and enjoy some movement together.
Birdseed Cookies
Another fun activity you can try over videoconference is Birdseed Cookies. You’ll need birdseed, Knox gelatin, and some cookie cutters. Find the full tutorial here.