My son’s become quite the bird enthusiast ever since his uncle bought him the book Birding for Children by Art Minton and illustrated by Patrick Grogan. Truman has not only memorized what each of the birds looks like, he also knows that Flickers are zygodactyls and Chickadees would like gymnastics.

We’ve been doing a lot of bird watching lately. Last weekend Truman found the Sibley’s bird book on our porch and spent much of the afternoons studying new birds and their migration patterns. Now that’s just…interesting.

My fellow parenting blogger Mary Emma Allen has some great ideas about getting your kids interested in birds by having kids write a poem or story about birds.

Since Truman’s not ready to pen his own work just yet, we decided to make up bird songs. After rhyming a bit with the word bird, things got a bit…off color for my soon-to-be Kindergartener. So I reeled him in with the Ramones version of Surfin’ Bird. Perfect, since we are headed to the beach in a few days.

If you’re not up on your Ramones tunes, you can go to www.jango.com and create your own radio station for the Ramones. Be sure to select Surfin’ Bird since any one of a number of Ramones tunes will start playing when you click over. A word of warning … you may not want to play Beat on the Brat in the presence of your child.

Photos, JWJourney

Post from: Blisstree

Everybody Knows that the Bird is a Word

Image: sxc.hu

*Poetry - Your poem can be of any type, rhyming or free verse, about one bird or the numbers of birds you see around your home or on a trip.

*Nature Story – I often wrote these for children’s magazines.  I researched the characteristics and habits of a bird, trying to find something unique about each one.  Then I wrote about it, trying to make it interesting for others to read.

*Fiction Story – Can you think of a fiction story that involves a bird in the plot.  I wrote one about my daughter, when she was small, trying to help a bird build its nest.  She learned the bird only wanted something it has made, but it would use some of the materials she put out.

What would you and your youngsters like to write about birds?

Post from: Blisstree

Writing Tip – Kids Write About Birds

There are various ways you can do this:

• Simply keep a list of the birds you see.
• List the birds and write something about them.
• Add a sketch to the list and description.
• Write a story or poem about the birds you see.
• Make a papier mache model of a bird…or use other materials for a bird sculpture.
• Make a painting of some of these birds you see and list.

In my anthology, Tales of Adventure and Discovery, you’ll find two poems, The Red-Winged Blackbird and Lord Baltimore Oriole.   I’ve written stories published in magazines about birds.  Some were nature stories and others were fiction.

I became intrigued with sketching birds after seeing a watercolor painting my mom did when she was attending teacher training class.  (I still have this painting she did 80 years ago.  ) So I went on to sketch and paint birds, even doing paintings on commission for customers.

Do you and your children like to keep track of the birds around you?

Post from: Blisstree

Keeping a Bird Watching Journal