7 ways to get your children involved with the big garden birdwatch

The RSPB big garden birdwatch falls in the last week of January each year and is the largest wildlife survey in the world. The valuable information collected over the weekend helps monitor bird species in the UK, and is great fun to get involved in! If you’d like to get your children involved in the big garden birdwatch too, take a look at our top tips below to make the most of bird watching with kids.

Challenge your children to see who can spot the most birds

A great way to keep children interested in birdwatching is to introduce a competitive edge. Set a challenge to see who can spot the most birds in the big garden birdwatch, or who can identify the largest number of different bird species. The promise of a prize for the winner is sure to get them excited about birdwatching!

Teach them about bird species

The big garden birdwatch is a perfect opportunity to start teaching your children about the incredible range of nature and wildlife we have in the UK! Discuss the different species of birds and how to identify them from their different colourings and habits. Our beginner’s guide to birdwatching is a great place to start when identifying birds.

Request a free birdwatch pack

As part of the big garden birdwatch, you can request a free birdwatching pack to help you learn more about the feathered friends that visit your garden, and identify what species they are. This is a great children's birdwatching kit and will help to build your child’s passion for nature and the outdoors.

Feed your feathered friends

To make sure there are plenty of visitors to your garden, provide food sources that will help to boost bird’s diets during the cold winter months. Take a look at our winter bird feeding guide to find out how best to feed birds over the colder months, or for great bird activities for early years, why not try making your own lard cakes?

Get social

There are many bird spotting groups across the country, lots of which will be running special events for the big garden birdwatch. Have a search for bird groups in your area, or events run by your local council, park or nature reserve. Spending time with other birders will be exciting for your children, and it will also help you to learn more about the nature around you.

Log your sightings

Whilst taking part in the big garden birdwatch, make sure to keep track of your sightings. Log any bird sightings on the BirdSpotter App, and discuss your sightings with other ‘twitchers’ on the forum.

Make it into an adventure

What better way to get children interested in bird watching than making it into an adventure! Take a bike ride to a local park or nature reserve to look for birds, or make a day trip out of it and explore a new place. Add in a picnic too, and you’ve got a great family day out. These simple tips should help you to make bird watching interesting and exciting for everyone, from little birders to grown-ups too!