Bird and bug watching for kids
Six quiet watching activities that need no names and no knowledge. Children sit, listen, sketch and look closely at the small lives around a balcony, yard or park. Nothing is fed or taken home, any small creature is let go straight away where it was found, and every idea works even on a day when very little shows up.
Safety first
A grown-up should stay close, and stay right beside children whenever water is involved, even a shallow dish. Do not touch nests, and keep a polite distance from every animal. Keep away from stinging insects: if you see a bee or wasp, stay calm and walk away. If you are not sure about any creature, do not touch it. Do not feed wild animals. Never look at the sun through a magnifying lens, and keep lenses away from the sun and from dry leaves, since they can focus light and burn. Check for insect-bite allergies before you go, and wash hands well after every activity. Age hints are only a guide, so you know your child best.
1. Five-minute listening spot
Age hint: 5 and up.
Bring: a mat or a step to sit on, and a grown-up with a watch or phone timer.
- Choose a spot outside or by an open window and sit down together.
- Set a timer for five minutes. Sit as still and quiet as you can, with eyes open or closed.
- Listen for any bird sounds. Hold up a finger each time you hear a new one, without speaking.
- When the timer rings, whisper what you heard to your grown-up.
Notice: Did the sounds change as you got quieter and stiller?
2. Bird-sketch notebook
Age hint: 5 and up.
Bring: a small notebook, a pencil and a few coloured pencils.
- Sit quietly and wait for any bird to appear, near or far.
- Draw its shape first, using simple circles, ovals and lines. Do not worry about details.
- Write one colour word beside it, then add its size by holding your hand out and comparing: smaller than my hand, about as big, or bigger.
- Birds fly off quickly, so draw from memory afterwards and leave gaps where you are unsure.
Notice: Was the bird rounder or longer than you expected, and what colour stood out most?
3. A water dish for birds
Age hint: 4 and up, with an adult.
Bring: a shallow dish or saucer, clean water and a steady place to put it.
- Ask a grown-up to pick a safe, flat spot outside, such as a balcony corner, where you can watch from a distance.
- The grown-up fills the dish with a little clean water. Keep it shallow.
- Check it each day. The grown-up empties it, scrubs it clean and refills it, and everyone washes hands afterwards.
- Watch quietly from inside or from a polite distance. Do not put out food, and do not try to touch or catch anything that visits.
Notice: Who came to look, and how did they behave around the dish?
4. Gentle bug hunt
Age hint: 5 and up, with an adult.
Bring: a clear cup, a stiff card that fits over the top, and a magnifying lens if you have one. Never look at the sun through it, and keep it away from the sun and from dry leaves.
- Look slowly on leaves, under a plant pot rim and along a wall. Do not dig, and never put hands into holes or cracks.
- With your grown-up beside you, only if a small creature is resting somewhere easy and open, and you are sure it is not a bee or wasp, gently place the cup over it and slide the card underneath. Never touch it with your hands.
- Look through the side of the cup for no more than a minute, then promptly set the cup down exactly where you found the creature and let it go.
- If you are not sure what it is, do not touch it, and ask a grown-up to deal with it. If you see a bee or wasp, walk away.
Notice: How many legs, how many colours and which way was it heading?
5. Sounds map
Age hint: 5 and up.
Bring: paper, a pencil and something to lean on.
- Draw a small cross in the middle of the page. That is you.
- Sit still for two minutes and listen carefully for chirps, buzzes, rustles and calls.
- Draw a squiggle or mark for each sound, placed in the direction it came from.
- Use thick lines for loud sounds and thin lines for soft ones, then compare maps with a friend.
Notice: Which sound was nearest, and which one came from furthest away?
6. Bug hotel of leaves and sticks
Age hint: 4 and up, with an adult.
Bring: fallen leaves, small sticks and a quiet corner of a garden or yard.
- Ask a grown-up to choose a sheltered corner where it is fine to leave a small pile.
- Gather only fallen leaves and sticks from the ground, and stack them loosely in a heap.
- Leave it alone. Do not poke, lift or search inside, and keep fingers out of the gaps.
- Look at the outside of the pile from a distance now and then, and notice how it changes.
Notice: What do you think the pile feels like to something very small?
More to do on Rangooo
Take a wider walk with nature walk activities, practise listening games, grow a few pots with balcony gardening for kids, watch the sky with weather watching activities, draw what you saw with easy drawing ideas, try easy science activities, or browse more stories and activities.
Questions
Do we need to know bird or insect names?
No. Describing what you see in your own words is enough, such as small and round, long and thin, or fast and zigzaggy. If you want a name, look it up with a grown-up afterwards. Never touch an animal to find out more.
What if we see no birds or bugs at all?
That is fine and quite normal. Sit a little longer, try another corner or another time of day, and notice sounds, shadows and movement instead. A quiet spot still gives you something to draw or listen to.
What should we do if we meet a bee or wasp?
Stay calm, do not swat, and walk away slowly with your grown-up. Leave stinging insects alone completely and choose another spot for your bug hunt.
Is it safe to touch what we find?
Look first and keep your hands to yourself. If you are not sure what something is, do not touch it. Never touch nests, and wash your hands well after every activity.
These are our own simple ideas. Weather, places and children differ, so adapt each activity to your own setting. Always supervise young children outdoors. If you spot a mistake, please tell us and we will fix it.