The Birds and the Birds: Earth Day Series
Though it may be a little soon for “the talk,” this is the perfect time of year for a walk with your infant, toddler or preschooler.
Whether strolling through a neighborhood, or through a park, your fellow (feathered) citizens are ready to help you teach your child about Mother Nature.
It’s Earth Day all week long at MommyGarten.com, and today we talk about some of the compelling creatures who share the outdoors with us and our children.
Spring is for the birds
The sunny and mild spring months provide numerous opportunities for your inquisitive child to observe bird life cycles, parenting skills, and habits.
Settled babies (3 months and older) will have the hearing acuity to notice bird chirps and become interested in searching for the source of the sounds. To stimulate your baby’s language and listening skills in this unique way, not much is required of you, Mommy (or Daddy). Just some time outside, sunscreen or a shady overhang, and a golden silence that the birds in your neighborhood or park will fill.
Toddlers completely understand the concepts of “hungry” and “food”, don’t they? The idea of “throwing,” too ya think? Sounds like a trip to the local duck pond to me! Even in the middle of cities, ducks can make a home in human-made bodies of water. Your toddler will love the cause and effect (cognitive development) of throwing bits of bread, then watching his popularity soar among the urbanized waterfowl. Daddy will like that your child spent the day working on his pitching arm (motor development).
Words of warning (that you already know): toddlers toddle. Don’t get dangerously close to the water’s edge — it’s not necessary, because the plump citified birds will come to you when they get a whiff of free lunch. Which leads me to another word of warning — one that my daughter and her best friend learned the hard way in 1993 at the Tulsa zoo: if you see geese, keep your distance, unless you want to learn the origin of the slang term “goosed.”
Birds enchant preschool-age children because they are earth creatures, yet sky creatures, too. Children old enough to sustain an interest in a more structured field trip will be able to notice the varying sizes and colors of birds, hear the differences in the sounds the birds make, and talk about the event at a later time. You might even find their artwork inspired by what they have seen and discovered while birdwatching.
Yesterday’s post: Mother and Child Reunion. Mother Earth, that is.
Check back tomorrow for more of Earth Day all week at MommyGarten.com!
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Carly Jennings | Cognitive Development | 
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