As for technique and technology advances, life becomes faster and faster and things change drastically. We are not talking about whether change is good or bad, but about the fact that life simply takes place much different than before. Look at our children for example. It used to be very hard to get them to enter the house because they enjoyed playing outside with their friends. Today, you just can’t separate them from monitors of different sizes. They almost don’t know how to behave in nature, and very often it scares them.
Every parent wants to spend their spare time with their children, and in the spring, when the days are much longer and sunnier, nature is simply the perfect place for families. Only when you separate them from technology and games do children turn into real little researchers full of questions and interesting findings. If you, as a parent, love nature, we are sure that you want to pass that love on to your child. However, this mission can be a really difficult challenge. You wonder how and where to start.
In this text, we offer you a great solution and not only that, but we also give you advice on how to achieve your mission. Observing the static nature of children will not be interesting. They need something that constantly moves them and that is poorly predictable, such as stories. Birds are found everywhere, in every city, park, and in every country, so it is ideal to get children out of your homes this way. The variety and dynamism of these tireless animals will surely attract the attention of your child. Get acquainted with 4 ways to get your kids interested in bird watching.
1. Use your yard
Even when a child refuses to leave his tucked-away world and embarks on a birdwatching adventure, you may get him interested in it step by step. It is enough for your child to join you by the window of the room, and the next moment you will notice at least one flying guest. If you have a yard with a lot of vegetation, this scene will be more and more interesting. Don’t forget, this is the first step in your mission in which you should interest children in watching stories in nature.
So while you are watching these wonderful creatures through the window together, ask a few questions about birds. Questions should not be addressed directly to the child so that they do not feel threatened, but as if you are asking them to yourself. It will stay in the child’s head and he will want to answer them. For example: what do they eat? Do all birds make nests? How high can they fly?
You can do this no matter what the weather is like outside and what the season is. If you are interested in your children in the right way, they will slowly get their attention from the warm home to the point where they will want to go out and learn even more. Therefore, make an effort to choose the best window for pickling birds in your home, ie the one that is directed to the most beautiful but also the quietest part of your yard. Educate yourself about the birds that come to your yard and fascinate your child with interesting information. Suggest to the child that you keep a diary of bird watching or make sketches of your most common residents in the yard.
2. Never force a child into this game
Whether it is a child or an adult, no one likes orders and the imposition of certain actions. Observing the birds should be a pastime for the child and not an obligation that he must fulfill. This is where your creativity and patience come to the fore. When you give the initial impulse and see that the child is interested, suggest that he go one step further.
For example, suggest that the child go together to buy binoculars so that the beep can be seen better. Allow your child to buy the children’s binoculars he or she wants, not the one you think is best. If you are writing a diary, allow your child to choose the notebook he or she wants, and do not correct it too much if the spelling is wrong.
3. Go outside together
If you have completed the first two steps, the third step will take place on its own. The child is already interested enough that he will only get the desire to watch his new friends outside his comfort zone. When you go outside, use the same paths and trails you follow almost every day, but everything will seem completely new to your child. This time he will pay attention to something completely new. Where a child used to notice ordinary wood, now it will be a solitaire for birds, and electric wires will get a new function.
Even if you only stay in your backyard, everything will be different. You can make a birdhouse together with your child and put it in a place where it can be seen clearly from the window. In this way, you influence both the child’s patience and creativity. With Roma, spend time together in nature. Perfect isn’t it ?! In addition to birdhouses, you can find many more DIY gardening ideas at diygardening.co.uk that will make your yard a playful field for killing birds.
4. Go a step further, organize a special trip to observe the birds
Just as bird watching from the window has been overcome, your child will soon outgrow watching birds from your backyard. He will want more challenges and knowledge. So go ahead and organize a walk in nature. Make sure that the child only expresses the need to do so, and not that you impose an obligation on him. You will be separated from the city noise and you will enjoy nature with your child.
It will rest the other side from the video games and screens that radiate and will arouse curiosity and the desire to stay in nature. Make sure there is a rehabilitation center for birds or a similar reservoir in your area and surprise your little one.
We have suggested simple and easy steps that would make your child interested in bird watching. At the same time, you will enjoy, we are sure, more than you think. Maybe a wonderful nature lover is hiding in your little one and it’s time to find out!