Pets?

 

Do your kids really want a pet, but you have reservations because you don’t have time to take care of one, you’re away from home most of the day, you don’t have the money, or your kids aren’t ready for one?

 

Well here’s the next best thing! Not to sound corny, but outdoor birds. Yes, outdoor birds, meaning cardinals, sparrows, woodpeckers, mourning doves, blue jays and more. Spring is here and they’re all coming back to the Northeast to nest and live. They will happily come to your yard. What does it take? A good, sturdy bird feeder, a place to hang it, and some birdseed. If your yard is home to any squirrels, it’s best to invest in a squirrel-proof bird feeder. Although squirrels are fun to watch, they can be most aggressive when it comes to hogging a bird feeder and keeping the birds at bay.

 

Place your feeder in a spot where you and your family can easily watch the birds come and go. Once the birds find your feeder, you’re in business! Provided there are no predatory birds like hawks in the area, you’ll have many visitors each day.

 

It’s fun and interesting to see how the different birds act. At our feeder, the sparrows are friendly to other birds. The cardinals are skittish, always looking around when they eat. The blue jays are aggressive, and the mourning doves feed on the seeds that spill from the feeder. The woodpeckers are usually at the feeder alone, as the other birds wait their turn. Each type of bird has its own ways!

 

Of course the robins are in the yard, but they don’t go to the feeder. They’re busy looking for worms. If you can get a birdbath, the robins will thank you with their show of taking a bath. They love our birdbath and regularly splash around in it, always taking quite a thorough bath! Other birds will thank you, too!

 

What can children learn from watching the birds? They can learn Math, colors, shapes and sizes, to name a few things. They can count how many birds come to the feeder on any given day. They can learn the different colors and the names of birds they see. They will learn what birds are small and what birds are large. They can make a chart of the bird feeder visitors each day.

 

This idea is relatively inexpensive and can be a joy for adults as well as children! Everyone in the family can learn to appreciate nature! This is an idea that is For The Birds!