We’ve been really into bird-watching at our house! My girls have a little guide that shows us what kind of birds live in our area. I also bought several nature field guides that have lots of info about the birds native to our state. A few months back, I set up a backyard bird-watching station for them to watch the birds while we eat our breakfast and lunch. We have a lovely window near our dining room table that allows us to see directly out while we eat! So I thought I would share a quick post on how to set up a backyard bird-watching station for kids. Keep reading to see what you need!

How To Set Up A Backyard Bird-Watching Station For Kids

Where should you put your bird watching station?

A bird-watching station is such a great way to get a front row seat to bird activity! It’s helped us learn so many of the common birds in our area! We love watching them eat too! If you’re interested in setting up a birdwatching station, consider where you spend most of your time. Obviously, you’ll need it to be somewhere near a window. I’ve read that you want to hang it either close to the house (3 feet) or far away but still in the yard (10 feet) to make sure the birds feel safe and don’t accidentally fly into the house or windows. We have ours set up right outside our dining room window!

What do you need to set up a bird-watching station?

01. Bird feeder

There are several types of bird feeders. There are wild bird feeders, trays, and even hummingbird feeders. We picked up a wild bird feeder at our local hardware store, but if you’re ordering online this is the almost the exact one we bought. It’s easy to use, and fairly easy to clean as well! It really comes down to the types of birds you’re hoping to see, so make sure you talk about that with your kids before you decide on one! Or you can just get one of each!

02. Bird food

If you have a wild bird feeder, you’ll want some wild bird food. This one is a good option. If you have a hummingbird feeder, you’ll want to get some sugar water! Either way, make sure you having something that the birds will actually want to eat!

03. Binoculars

You’ll want some good binoculars so you can see the birds up close! It’s a good idea to have a couple if you have multiple kids. The birds don’t stay for a long time, so having more to go around ensures everyone can see it before it flies away!

04. Backyard Bird Guide

This is the backyard bird guide we have. It’s a very straightforward, and kid-friendly guide. I’ve actually learned a lot about backyard birds from reading it too! When you or your children spot a bird, look it up and read about it! You’d be surprised at how much they remember!

05. Nature Journal

Keep a notebook and some writing utensils near the space so that your family can record and draw what they see each time they spot a new bird. Maybe they write notes about the type of bird, or what it was doing. Maybe they write their own creative story about the birds that visit! The sky is the limit!

I hope this blog post about how to set up a backyard bird-watching station for kids was helpful to you! Thank you so much for reading!