Plan + plant bird-friendly backyards with kids

Planting gardens for birds with children provides fun hands-on science lessons. Choosing and using bird-friendly plants together teaches children about nature while making your backyard more attractive to birds.

Kids love observing the results of their efforts as plants grow and birds visit. In addition to feeders, providing bird-friendly plantings helps transform your yard into an attractive backyard bird habitat.

Choose plants that offer birds food, shelter and nesting spots. Get kids involved in the planting and help them learn how different plants support birds.

This guide covers kid-friendly plants and activities to involve youngsters in creating a lively bird habitat. Get ready to dig in to gardening with your budding naturalist!

Planting bird-friendly backyards – why it’s important for kids

Planting bird-friendly backyards with kids is a wonderful way to teach children about bird habitats. Having a space, like a birdwatching station in the garden where kids can watch birds in an easy and comfortable way allows them to develop both interest and independence.

By involving them in the process of creating a welcoming space for birds, children not only learn about the importance of preserving bird habitats but also develop a deep connection with nature. It also instills in them a sense of environmental responsibility.

Practical way to learn about bird habitats

Start by explaining to children what bird habitats are and why they matter for the well-being of our feathered friends.

Show them how different plants, trees, and water features can attract various bird species, and encourage them to research and choose native plants that are suitable for the local bird population.

As they actively participate in planting, nurturing, and observing the visiting birds, they will gain firsthand experience of the symbiotic relationship between birds and their habitat.

Planting bird-friendly backyards – why it’s important for birds

Why is it good to attract birds to your garden anyway?

Having birds in your garden offers several benefits for the ecosystem and the environment:

1. Pest Control

Birds eat insects that are common garden pests, such as caterpillars and mosquitoes, which helps naturally control pest populations and reduce the need for harmful pesticides.

2. Pollination

Some bird species, like hummingbirds, feed on nectar and aid in the movement of pollen from one flower to another, promoting cross-pollination and helping plants reproduce.

3. Seed Dispersal

Birds play a vital role in seed dispersal. They consume fruits and seeds, and some seeds can survive the digestive process, allowing them to be transported to new locations and potentially grow into new plants.

4. Biodiversity

Birds contribute to the overall biodiversity of the garden, creating a balanced ecosystem that supports various plant and animal species.

5. Environmental Education

Having birds in the garden provides an opportunity for children to learn about different bird species, their behaviors, and their role in the ecosystem, fostering a deeper understanding of nature and wildlife conservation.

6. Connection to Nature

Observing and interacting with birds in the garden helps children develop a sense of connection and appreciation for the natural world, encouraging them to care for and protect the environment.

7. Habitat Preservation

By creating a bird-friendly garden with suitable shelter, food sources, and water, children actively contribute to preserving and restoring bird habitats, which is crucial given the declining bird populations due to various environmental challenges.

8. Ecological Balance

Birds play a part in maintaining ecological balance by regulating insect populations and assisting with plant reproduction, ensuring the sustainability of the garden ecosystem.

The best plants to attract birds: what kids need to know

Fruit Trees

Fruit trees offer nourishment for birds. Select small trees sized for your yard and suited to your climate.

Cherries, berries, apples and citrus trees provide natural food sources. Have kids help pick fruits or make fruit kabobs to hang in trees.

Engage kids in the process:

– Choose trees together. Research what fruits local birds like to eat.

– Allow kids to help dig holes and plant trees. Show them how to gently tamp soil.

– Have kids monitor growth and document changes over time by measuring trunks.

– Let children help pick fruits when ripe. Create fruit kabobs to hang in trees using berries or chunks of apple, orange, peaches, etc. on a stick.

Getting kids involved with fruit trees teaches planting skills and the science of how trees grow while providing food to attract colorful birds.

Flowering Plants

Flowering plants add vibrant color to gardens while attracting hungry pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies. Involve kids in planting an array of blooms.

Many blooms produce nectar or seeds for birds. Especially aim for tubular flowers loved by hummingbirds. Let kids water flower beds.

– Select nectar-producing flowers like coral honeysuckle, trumpet vine, and columbine which hummingbirds especially enjoy. Salvia, zinnias, and lantana also attract birds.

– For small spaces, planting in containers works well. Have kids arrange pots artistically and care for container plants. Help them memorize flower names.

– Consider creating a dedicated butterfly garden filled with enticing flowers. Research kid-friendly plants together. Mark plants with signs made by kids.

– Make nectar for hummingbirds using 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Let kids measure and mix wearing safety goggles. Have them fill feeders using a small funnel.

– Take time to sit quietly and observe visitors to different flowers and feeders. Can kids spot matching patterns and colors?

Interactive flowering plants allow children to actively participate in attracting beautiful birds while learning about gardening and pollinators.

Vines

Vines intertwine play and purpose for bird habitats. Trumpet vines and grape vines give shelter and fruits desired by birds.

Have kids observe birds collecting materials like twigs from vines for nests.

Kids will love helping to select fun vines like:

– Fast-growing vines with showy trumpet-shaped blossoms that hummingbirds love, like trumpet creeper or trumpet honeysuckle.

– Hardy clematis vines that produce fluffy seed heads for birds to use in nests.

– Grape vines that yield tasty fruits and provide dense cover. Have kids help build a simple arbor or trellis for vines to grow on.

Engage kids in vine care with fun activities:

– Gently unwind vines growing where they shouldn’t and guide them back onto their support.

– Collect fallen twigs and branches from vines to use for kid-made bird nests and crafts.

– Pick grapes together in fall. See who can spot birds enjoying the fruits!

Shrubs

Evergreen and berry producing shrubs offer cover and nesting sites. Allow kids to peek for nests and watch baby birds in shrubs.

Shrubs also offer benefits like seeds and fruits. Try these activities:

– Plant compact berry shrubs suited for small spaces, like blueberry, raspberry, or currant. Let kids eat snacks straight from the bush!

– Choose evergreen shrubs for year-round shelter. Cedars, spruces, firs, and pines work well. Observe birds resting or nesting in branches.

– Take a “nature walk” around shrubs looking for spider webs, insects, and animal clues like feathers or tracks. Peek for nests but don’t disturb.

– Help keep shrubs healthy by gently pruning dead branches. Have kids collect fallen leaves to add to compost piles.

Get kids excited about gardening while enriching habitat for birds with kid and bird-friendly shrubs!

Native Plants

Native plants naturally thrive in your local climate and attract native birds. Ask kids to identify common native plants in your yard.

Here are kid-focused activities:

– Provide bird field guides and help kids research popular plants where you live. List ones that provide food and shelter.

– Print photos of common native plants and have kids create a matching game to learn appearances.

– Conduct scavenger hunts in parks or nature preserves to spot and identify native plants. Offer prizes for matches.

– For small spaces, try native container gardens. Help kids arrange and care for pots.

– Grow bird-loving native plants from seed. Kids can scatter seeds, water, and track daily changes.

Exploring native plants piques curiosity while making your yard an oasis for local birds. Discover native gardening together.

Herb Gardens

Herbs delight the senses while providing natural foods that birds enjoy. Planting herbs offers many engaging lessons for youngsters:

– Choose herbs birds like such as mint, parsley, fennel, dill, and oregano. Have kids smell different herb leaves and guess the name.

– Demonstrate proper planting depth and spacing. Supervise as kids dig holes, place starter plants, and pat down soil.

– Encourage caretaking. Have children water gently, weed carefully, and track growth in a journal. Teach them to identify seedlings versus unwanted weeds.

– Snip herbs with kid-safe shears throughout the season for use in recipes, drying, or crafts. Have kids hang small herb bundles to dry.

– Create homemade “birdseed” by mixing dried herbs, berries, nuts or seeds. Allow kids to shape into logs or ornaments and hang near feeders.

Kids’ activities for improving soil

Birds flock to yards with healthy soil and plants. Engage kids in soil-building:

– Compost together by combining plant waste like leaves and vegetable scraps in a bin. Have kids layer, stir, and water contents. Use compost to enrich soil.

– Add worm composting so kids can observe the wigglers firsthand turning waste into fertilizer. Let children collect and add food scraps.

– Have kids mix soil amendments like peat moss or compost into beds to improve drainage before planting. Show them how amendments alter soil texture.

– Demonstrate proper digging tools and technique. Guide children as they practice digging holes for plants, turning soil, or creating planting beds.

Get children’s hands dirty as you explain soil health fundamentals. Nurturing soil grows excited gardeners.

Creating bird-safe habitats

Beyond plants, birds need shelter. Guide kids through hands-on habitat projects such as:

– Have children decorate and assemble birdhouses suited for your area. Monitor boxes for inhabitants.

– Work together to create cozy brush piles using pruned branches, leaves, pinecones and other natural materials. Observe birds seeking refuge.

– Build simple platform bird feeders together from wood squares, craft sticks, and edging. Kids can decorate platforms with paint or collage.

Habitat projects allow kids to directly see how their efforts help backyard birds thrive.

Get Growing on your bird-friendly and kid-friendly planting

Now it’s time to put all the pieces together and start your family bird habitat. Let’s summarize our main action steps to create a backyard that birds will love to live in.

• Sketch garden plans with your child. Let them choose favorite plants and projects. Prioritize kid-led elements.
• Shop for materials together. Have kids select child-sized tools and gear to care for their garden space.
• Plant in phases. Start with easy containers and a few in-ground plantings. Add more beds annually as skills improve.
• Set reminders to work in the garden each week. Involve kids in all routines like weeding or harvesting.
• Most importantly, have fun! Supplementary activities like beginning to use nature journals, create worm races, or garden snacks make learning active.

Gardening for birds takes time but builds lifelong skills. Let your young naturalist’s curiosity bloom as you grow together.

Kids also love creating with purpose from found objects – first of all searching for materials to use. Then using natural materials to make bird-related art, or even bird attractors like homes and water features is a very rewarding activity for children.