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My dad got us this book one year for Christmas and I stuck it in a drawer. We had put up a bird feeder and a birdhouse (for decor) outside our living room window. One day we saw some amazing birds at the feeder. One of them we have not seen since...it was a Rose Breasted Grosbeak. We could not believe how beautiful this bird was and I remembered that bird book! We pulled it out and identified our first bird. Then, we noticed a bird going in and out of the birdhouse that I had put up...strictly for looks. When we checked inside, there were tiny little eggs! Then the eggs hatched and we watched the birds grow and fly away. We also got the book out to identify them as Carolina Chickadees. Luke, who was then 7, started looking through the book and then started reading it...cover to cover. One huge blessing out of this, was that he had struggled with reading or really being interested in it at all. He had become so interested in these birds that he just had to read about them! He wore that book out and we had to order another one! 
Robin's nest in our yard
What was so great, was that we were all of a sudden aware of all the birds around us. We had never really noticed them before. Now we were seeing them everywhere and we wanted to know what kind they were.
We had always liked hiking, camping, and being outdoors in general. Chad, my husband, had always been great about helping the kids catch frogs, bug, snakes, etc. However, we had been missing so much! We got some more field guides and we all began to learn about all of God's amazing creatures that were right around us the whole time.
We are not experts, and my kids know WAY more than I do, but, here is what has worked for us:
*Bird Feeders - Go to your local stores and just pick out a feeder and seed, nectar, or a thistle sock. Hang them up somewhere around your house where you are sure to see them everyday by just looking out the window. Also...try some Suet! We've seen some of the coolest birds on our suet. You'll find it in with bird seed.
Thistle Sock and Goldfinches
Red-Bellied Woodpecker and Northern Cardinal on Suet
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird at our Hummingbird feeder
*Birdhouses - These are a fun family project! Make them from scratch, buy a kit, or by one preassembled. Hang it up where you can easily watch it. You can look online for how to make and hang a house for specific birds. There is nothing like observing birds, all the way from making a nest, to the babies flying away. * Field Guides - I'm going to list some of our favorites (affiliate links). We've found them at yard sales, thrift stores, book stores and online.
* As homeschoolers, nature study has become a huge part of our schooling. This book, Handbook of Nature Study
, has been great! I take it everywhere we go and we use it to look up just about everything. It sometimes gives us little observation activities and gets us investigating and thinking. It's not just about wildlife, we've learned about erosion while at the river and trees and roots while hiking. It's a wonderful resource!
Milkweed Pod
is an amazing book for older kids. Books like this played a huge part in us growing to love learning about creation. My kids got into the characters of these books without even realizing they were learning about different animals.Favorite Thornton Burgess Animal Stories Boxed Set (Sets)
*Be prepared! - Try to keep things with you like binoculars, jars, buckets, nets, etc. We also try to take at least 10 - 15 minutes to nature journal when we go out. Don't be afraid to get dirty and keep your eyes out for things you've never seen before!
Posted by Momma
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