Watching birds either at the feeder or in your yard is wonderful pass time. This free printable bird watching journal is great for young bird enthusiasts!
Exploring nature with your kids doesn't have to be complicated. From starting a nature journal to going on a backyard scavenger hunt, there are so many fun activities to do together.
The best thing about keeping a bird journal is you can do it all year long. As bird migrate, your kids can spot different species of birds through out the year.
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I like to give my readers ideas for how to use the printables with their kids. You can access the PDF version of the bird watching journal at the bottom of this post.
What is a Bird Journal
A bird journal is a place where you can record observations from time spent bird watching. Hand draw pictures, labeled diagrams, written notes, along with keeping a record of which species of birds you saw can all be recorded.
Not only is bird watching fun, but you can make it educational. Kids can learn about each bird species while observing the birds in their natural habitat.
You can observe birds in your own yard or visit a local park. Gardens are great spots to observe birds along with woodland forest.
Age Range
- Preschool
- Kindergarten
- Elementary
- Upper Elementary
You can use these bird watching journaling pages with a wide range of kids! Guided enough for young children in preschool. Yet, open-ended for older kids in 1st through 6th grade!
Related Post: My Butterfly Observation Journal
Kids of all ages love observing nature. Its amazing what you can see when you take the time to stop and watch quietly. Even very young children are able to make observations and basic sketches with some of guidance.
Observing the birds is also a great activity for adults to do alongside their kids!
Supplies
Printer and Paper
Since this journal is a pdf download, you will need a printer along with printer paper to make the journal. Each page fits a standard 8 ½ by 11 inch piece of paper.
If you want the cover page to be sturdy, you can print it off using cardstock instead of plain paper. However, that is not 100% necessary.
Stapler, Ribbon, or a Binder
Keeping an observation journal lets your kids observe birds over a period of time. To keep the journal together you can simply use a stapler. Another option is to tie the pages together by running a ribbon through a hole made by a hole punch.
You can even use a 3 ring binder or folder. This way your kids can add in pages as needed. They can also take one sheet out at a time without having to have the entire journal out!
Art Supplies
- crayons
- markers
- colored pencils
- regular pencil
Binoculars
Optional, but really fun for kids and adults! There is something official about using supplies like binoculars when making observations. These binoculars can be used by both adults and kids.
Not just for bird watching, you an use them when observing all types of wildlife outside. We have a pair and really like them!
Bird Feeder
Also optional, but observing birds at a feeder is a fun activity for kids. If you live in bear country like, me I put up my feeders in the wintertime. It is also a great winter craft to make your own feeders together!
Make your own bird feeder using a recycled milk jug or a paper cup and pipe cleaners!
Bird Field Guide
If you are looking to turn this activity into a science lesson you can pair it with a field guide about birds. Even if you are just doing this activity for fun, field guides a wonderful resources!
Kids can learn the common and scientific name of the different species of birds they observe. They can then add information they learned from the book into their journal.
While this book doesn't have every bird you may see, this woodland bird book lets you hear the songs that birds sing!
Skills to Practice
- Making Observations
- Data Collection
- Communication
- Analysis
- Bird Identification
- Scientific Sketches
- Summarizing
Watching the birds and recording information about them in a journal is a wonderful way to practice science. Kids can even record how many times you see each bird to incorporate a little bit of math.
While children draw an illustration they are practicing art all while learning about the birds in their area.
Older children can even add labels to each drawing. Labels including the different parts of the bird or even the name of the different species.
After they make an entry, take the time to talk about what you observed together. Talking it out helps kids to practice summarizing while communicating their ideas.
Terms of Use
These printables were created by Nature Inspired Learning and are for personal use only for your home, classroom, or public library. All of these bird journal pages are for non-commercial use. See full disclosure.
Download
My Bird Journal Cover Page, Bird Tracker, Bird Observation Sheet, and My Favorite Bird Page!
PDF format that you can print off right away. I made sure to use black and white instead of color to make this printable journal low on ink!
Learning about birds, this printable bird bingo game and these bird I spy worksheets are fun to go along with this journaling activity.
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