• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

  • HOME
  • How to
    • Preschool
    • Kindergarten
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • Planner
  • Lapbooks
    • Trioramas
    • History Games
  • Shop
  • GET STARTED NOW!
    • Learning Styles
  • 7 Step Planner
    • DIY Best Student Planner
    • Free & Easy DIY Home Management Binder
  • Unit Studies
    • Creation to Ancients
    • Middle Ages to Reform
    • Exploring to Revolution
    • World Wars to Today
    • Science
    • Free Art Curriculum Grades 1 – 8
  • Curriculum
    • More Unit Studies
    • Geography
    • Writing PreK to 12th
    • Geronimo Stilton
  • BootCamp
    • Resources
      • Dynamic Subscriber Freebies
      • Exclusive Subscribers Library
      • Ultimate Unit Study Planner

birdjournal

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

November 4, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’m excited to make this fun animal soap carving and a quick study on a swan. Also, look at this Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests.

Carving with soft soap bars is a great way to practice fine motor skills, safe knife skills, and is fantastic for relaxation.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

I chose to make this carving of a swan because they are such beautiful and graceful creatures and worked beautifully with the white soap.

Swans are birds found in wetlands, ponds, rivers, and lakes around the United States,

I am not going to just leave it there though, you will have tons of facts, resources, and more to help you with your own swan study before I am through.

First, look at these quick facts about swans.

8 Swan Facts

There is much to learn about swans whether they are a topic on their own or part of a larger study on lakes or ponds.

  1. There are both black and white species of swans. Black swans are found in southeast and southwest Australia as well as Tasmania, but white swans can be found throughout Canada, Northern United States, and Alaska.
  2. Male swans are called cobs, females are pens, and young are called cygnets.
  3. Swans choose a partner and stay together for their whole life. If their mate dies they will mourn for a while just like people and may or may not find a new mate.
  4. Swans can eat as much as eight pounds of food per day, they have big appetites and need to consume 20% to 25% of their bodyweight each day.
  5. While most mammals only have 7 neck vertebrae, swans have 24 or 25.
  6. Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl native to North America and they are also the heaviest flying birds in North America. Their wingspans can reach up to 10 feet wide and can weigh up to 30 pounds.
  7. Swans have a long lifespan, In the wild swans can live for over 20 years.
  8. Amazingly swans can sleep on land on one leg or while floating in the water.
How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Then, look at some bird resources or ideas for animal soap carvings.

More Bird Resources for a Fun Animal Soap Carving

  • How to Make a Chalk Pastel Bird Nest Easy Drawing
  • Galapagos Islands Animals Fun and Simple Watercolor Flamingo Tutorial
  • Peregrine Falcon Lapbook And Fun Unit Study Ideas
  • Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet
  • Make Way For Ducklings Fun Duck Pond Playdough Invitation to Play
  • How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock
  • Free Bird Journal – Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)
  • North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Bird Craft For Kindergarten Make an Adorable Fun American Robin Foot Print
  • Beautiful Bald Eagle Fun Facts And Torn Paper Bird Craft
  • Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests
  • Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts
  • How to Make a Fun Paper Mache American Robin Bird Craft
  • How to Make a Kid’s Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity
  • How to Make an Easy Jumbo Stick Bird Feeder with Kids

Your kids will love my Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan
  • Dynamic Delightful Bird Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic Delightful Bird Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

Also, here are more activities to learn about swan.

Swan Unit Study Activities

  • 7 Fun Facts About Swan | How to Create a Handprint Swan

Next, look at these resources for a study of a swan.

Resources for a Quick Study of Swans

7 Swan Quick Unit Study Resources

Read The Trumpet of The Swan as your read aloud during your study, it is a wonderful classic by E.B. White..

The Trumpet of the Swan

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection—he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Needle Felting: The Swan

Challenge yourself to make this needlefelted swan next, a beautiful handiwork craft.

Photo Credit: www.thecrafttrain.com

Paper roll swan craft

These swans are particularly simple to create, the first time we made them was back when the girls were princess-obsessed preschoolers.

Photo Credit: backyardsummercamp.com

Origami Swan Step-by-Step Craft Tutorial

Create a paper wonder by following this Origami Swan Step-by-Step Craft Tutorial.

Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake - The Kirov Ballet

Take in some of the beautiful music and dance of Tchaikovsky’s  SwanLake

White Swan Figurine Animals Figures Project Diorama Model

4PCS farm animals figures. Kid can use these plastic animals farm toys to build their own farm up. Farm sets for kids can bring happy.

Farm Animal figurines farm toys set made of environment friendly materials.Good quality and durable to deal with lots of play.

Swan Lake

A prince's love for a swan queen overcomes an evil sorcerer's spell in this fairy tale adaptation of the classic ballet

Finally, look how to make this fun animal soap carving.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving

A soft soap like Ivory carves nicely with simple tools like plastic knives and toothpicks.

It is a great size for small hands and makes a good new medium for an art project.

You will need:

  • Ivory soap bars
  • Toothpicks
  • Wooden Skewers
  • Carving tools-Dollar Tree (optional)
How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

First, open soap a few days ahead of when you are ready to use it and allow it to dry out for 2-5 days, the longer the better.

It makes a little less mess and is easier to work with than if you carve it straight out of the package.

Scratch off the name of the soap with your tools.

Use a toothpick or wooden skewer to lightly outline the shape of the swan on both sides of the soap.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Continue scraping away at the edges of the soap, removing the bulk of the soap that is not part of the design, going all the way from one side of soap to the other.

Going slow and easy will allow you to get more details and less mistakes.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Once you have removed the bulk of the excess material scratch details like feathers deeper into the wings and tail to create some texture by going in different depths and avoid using perfectly straight lines.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Be sure to do all sides of your swan with all the feathering.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Add details like eyes and the beak with a toothpick, do both sides.

Use a smooth rounded tool to rub the edges smooth and flat.

If your child wants to keep their soap, you can seal it with a good lacquer sealer to preserve it.

How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: animals, birdjournal, birds, crafts, elementary science, homeschoolscience, life science, science, spring, spring crafts, swan

Free Bird Journal – Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)

April 11, 2023 | 20 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Last year when spring rolled around, I shared a free Bird Journal along with a Bird Identification page. Also, grab more information about birds on my page Hands-on Bird Unit Study and Lapbook.

Tiny had been coloring birds for a few years before I shared it last year. 

Also, I wanted something that could be used both as a coloring journal AND to print a page over and over when we identified birds.

Free Bird Journal - Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)

So this free printable bird journal includes the following pages.

  • Colorful front page for your journal
  • owl coloring page
  • raptor or hawk coloring page
  • cardinals coloring page
  • heron coloring page
  • emeral toucan coloring page
  • spoonbill coloring page
  • sulphur crested cockatoo coloring page
  • cross bill coloring page
  • bob white coloring page
  • quetzal coloring page
  • vulture coloring page
  • song sparrow coloring page
  • catbird coloring page and
  • a beautiful Bird Identification Page which you can print over and over as your children discover new birds

Grab this free and fun Bird Journal which includes high quality coloring pages and bird identification page which allows plenty of room for sketching and noting birding details. CLICK HERE to grab it!

So this year and as all kids do, he has grown up a bit more and wanted the Bird Identification page changed around to allow room for a larger sketch and less coloring.

Free Bird Journal - Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)

Moreover, in the download I included a “field guide” page.

Just add the field page into a page protector and add to your notebook.

Using a 3 ring notebook worked best for us so could keep adding to it each year.

Free Bird Journal - Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages). Last year when spring rolled around, I shared a free Bird Journal along with a Bird Identification page. Also, grab more information about birds on my page Hands-on Bird Unit Study and Lapbook. Also, I wanted something that could be used both as a coloring journal AND to print a page over and over when we identified birds. Free front page for your bird journal and coloring pages with bird identification key. Free 16 pages,

Additionally, if you want to delve into more spring learning look at the NaturExplorers.

Our Journey Westward

However because I know you still may have younger sweeties and kids who probably like to color, I have added a few more bird coloring pages to the Bird Journal.

Free Bird Journal

I also updated the Bird Identification page to allow room for a larger sketch and to use for an older child.

Free Bird Journal - Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages). Last year when spring rolled around, I shared a free Bird Journal along with a Bird Identification page. Also, grab more information about birds on my page Hands-on Bird Unit Study and Lapbook. Also, I wanted something that could be used both as a coloring journal AND to print a page over and over when we identified birds. Free front page for your bird journal and coloring pages with bird identification key. Free 16 pages,

We want to get in the habit of bird watching year around so I created this page so that the season could be easily marked when we’re bird watching. 

More Fun Learning About Birds Activities

Also, I have so many fun activities for your kids to learn about birds.

  • Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests
  • North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Bird Craft For Kindergarten Make an Adorable Fun American Robin Foot Print
  • Bald Eagle Fun Facts And Torn Paper Bird Craft
  • Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity
  • Wildlife in the Amazon Rainforest – Create Fun Macaw and Toucan Crafts
  • How to Make a Fun Paper Mache American Robin Bird Craft
  • Kid’s Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity
  • Easy Jumbo Stick Bird Feeder with Kids
  • Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity
  • Make a Fun Bird Nesting Bag
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
  • Easy and Fun Nature Study: Beautiful Birds
  • Winter Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders

But we only seem to do it when we have spring fever.

Grab this free and fun Bird Journal which includes high quality coloring pages and bird identification page which allows plenty of room for sketching and noting birding details. CLICK HERE to grab it!

More Coloring Pages

  • 20 Fun Home School Education Coloring Books to Pair With Unit Studies

In addition, add some fun bird books to use as referenced for the bird journal.

11 Fun Resources and Books to Learn About North American Robin Birds

Studying about North American Robin birds is fun to do anytime of the year with all ages. You'll love adding one ore more of these resources to your study.

1. All About Robins

A robin is one of the most familiar and beloved of all birds that are found throughout North America. You may see robins running across lawns or going after earthworms in your yard or a park. You can also find robins by listening for their clear, melodic singing.There are many facts about robins that most people don’t know. If your children have ever wondered about robins and how they grow from chicks to adult birds, this book is for them. The book contains dozens of beautiful photos of robins from the time they first hatch, to when their mother feeds them, until they take their first flight. It also includes many little-known facts that are sure to captivate young naturalists.

2. Model Backyard Birds Toys

Set of bird figurine toys, which contains 7 different small plastic birds. The weight of bird figure toy is 96G / 0.2LB. The set of small plastic bird contains 7 pieces of toy birds, such as robin, bluebird, oriole, woodpecker, etc. Please refer to the picture for the actual size and color.

3. Big Book of Birds

The book draws in children and parents alike with captivating information about and charming illustrations of hummingbirds, peacocks, flamingos, bald eagles, secretary birds, puffins, red-crowned cranes, and more. The book also invites young bird-watchers to protect birds where they live and make their gardens bird-friendly. The text is chatty, funny, and full of remarkable facts.

4. A Nest Full of Eggs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Named a Best Children's Science Book of the Year by Science Books & Films, this picture book shows how the birds develop inside their eggs during the spring; how they mature into fledglings in the summer; how they learn to fly in the fall; and how they leave for warmer climates in winter—only to return when spring comes around again.

5. BACKYARD BIRDSONG GUIDE EASTERN AND CENT (cl) (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Suitable for beginning bird watchers, Backyard Birdsongs is an interactive handbook of birds and their songs. With a touch-button electronic module that contains common vocalizations of seventy-five species from across eastern and central North America, this volume offers a truly sensory way to identify and get to know local birds. Crisply detailed, scientifically accurate illustrations accompany each entry, and up-to-date range maps provide clear geographical reference points. With an introduction that will inspire readers to look out their windows and venture into the field, this unique book gives people of all ages an exciting entryway into the subtle art of using birdsong to identify birds.

6. A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home (Nest for Celeste, 1)

Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of black-and-white drawings, A Nest for Celeste is a short novel that tells the story a mouse living in the 1800s and his friendship with John James Audubon’s young apprentice. While enjoying this sweet amd appealing story, young readers will also learn about nineteenth-century plantation life and the famous naturalist who was known for his paintings of birds and American wildlife.

7. An Egg Is Quiet: (Picture Book, Kids Book about Eggs)

This stunningly beautiful and wonderfully informative book from award-winning artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston makes for a fascinating introduction to the vast and amazing world of eggs. Featuring poetic text and an elegant design, this acclaimed book teaches children countless interesting facts about eggs. Full of wit and charm, An Egg Is Quiet will at once spark the imagination and cultivate a love of science.

8. Robins!: How They Grow Up

Robins are the most familiar and beloved of all birds, found throughout North America and celebrated as one of the first signs of spring. But there's a lot about them that most people don’t know! In this visually stunning picture book that features comic-book panels combined with painterly illustrations, Eileen Christelow tells the story of two young robins’ first year, and reveals plenty of little-known facts that are sure to captivate young naturalists. Narrated with humor and filled with kid-pleasing details, this fascinating account of how robins grow up includes an Author’s Note, Glossary, More About Robins, and Sources.

9. Rob the Robin: A Tale of a Feathered Friend

Join Rob the Robin on his adventure as he discovers first the difficulty of surviving a long winter and then the wonders of spring. Written as an early reader, this tale is sure to delight children with captivating photography and pictures that visually tell the story in such a way that will interest both readers and non-readers alike.

10. The American Robin

In this book, Roland Wauer offers a complete natural history of the American Robin for a popular audience. Combining his own observations as a field naturalist with data gleaned from the scientific literature, he described the American Robin from every angle - appearance and biology, distribution, behavior, life cycle, and enemies and threats. In addition, he explores the legends and lore surrounding robins ("Whoever kills a robin redbreast will never have good luck were they to live a thousand years") and offers suggestions for attracting robins to your yard with favorite food, water, landscape plantings, and nesting places.

11. American Robin Plush Authentic Bird Sound

Kids and adults love this bird stuffed animal and are captivated by its realistic sound. They are also great baby toys and used as sensory toys. With one squeeze, Audubon birds produce beautifully authentic bird calls provided by the Cornell lab of Ornithology’s bird recording archives.

Are y’all planning any special project for spring?

Free Bird Journal - Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)

How to Get the Free Bird Journal

Now, how to grab the free bird journal. This is a subscriber freebie.

 1) Sign up on my list.
 2) Download your freebie NOW!
 3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

20 CommentsFiled Under: 1. My FREE Learning Printables {Any Topic}, Free Homeschool Resources Tagged With: birdjournal, freeprintables, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, middleschool, nature study, science, sciencecurriculum, spring

Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

March 8, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Spring is in the air, and I have a free North American Robin bird lapbook and unit study ideas. You’ll love my North American Robin unit study, lapbook ideas, and best homeschool unit studies pages.

The North American robin can be found in all parts of the United States except Hawaii.

Some robins will migrate to south Texas and Florida, but robins have a huge winter range.

Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

But when you see them in abundance you know spring is here in the northern regions.

I have some more fun facts below about robins and a free bird lapbook.

And did you know that March is the peak month for robins migrating?

As the day lengthens and the temperatures are warmer, they return to warmer grounds.

Another interesting fact is that British robin is smaller than the American robin.

However, early colonists from England gave the name robin, a name familiar to them.

Next, look at some vocabulary words below.

Vocabulary Words American Robin

  1. migration – movement to another area either to seek food or warmer climate or both.
  2. breeding cycle – producing offspring robins breed in the spring and it extends from April to July
  3. fertilized – if a female robin mated with a male, the yolk would be fertilized or become a baby robin. If the female didn’t mate, the egg would just remain as a yolk.
  4. albumen – watery protein that surrounds the yolk.
  5. egg tooth – hard hook on the beak of the baby robin to help it hatch out of the egg.
  6. brood patch – This is an area on the mom’s belly where her feathers fell off. It’s an area where she shares her warm bare belly heat with her young and the outer feathers cover over that area.

Also, look at some more robin resources below.

More North American Robin Resources

  • Bird Craft For Kindergarten Make an Adorable Fun American Robin Foot Print
  • How to Make a Fun Paper Mache American Robin Bird Craft
  • American Robin Free Printables, Resources and Crafts
Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

Then, add some more facts to your study.

10 American Robin Did You Know Facts

And kids love trivia and learning facts, look at some of these fun facts about American robins.

  1. That robins are the easiest birds to train to feed from your hand. Put food on something nearby and add to your open palm. Eventually the robin will eat from your palm but not always land on your hand.
  2. A wave is three or more robins.
  3. Male robins sing when they get to their breeding territory.
  4. Territory means a place where nesting and mating occurs.
  5. Most birds lay their eggs at sunrise, but robins lay their eggs mid-morning.
  6. During breeding season robins spend the early morning hours looking for worms.
  7. Female birds have only one working ovary unlike most mammals.
  8. They lay one egg a day.
  9. Robins usually lay 4 eggs and stop.
  10. Until they lay a full clutch, a female won’t sit on the eggs so they all hatch close to the same time.

More Bird Lapbook and Resources

Also, look at these fun bird resources.

  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook
  • Peregrine Falcon Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Backyard Bird Lapbook
  • Make a Kid’s Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity
  • How to Make an Easy Jumbo Stick Bird Feeder with Kids
  • Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity
  • Hands-On Nature Study: Make a Fun Bird Nesting Bag
  • Easy and Fun Nature Study: Beautiful Birds
  • Winter Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders
  • Free Bird Journal – Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)
Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

American Robin Books

Next, add some of these books or resources to enhance your spring unit study about robins.

11 Fun Resources and Books to Learn About North American Robin Birds

Studying about North American Robin birds is fun to do anytime of the year with all ages. You'll love adding one ore more of these resources to your study.

1. All About Robins

A robin is one of the most familiar and beloved of all birds that are found throughout North America. You may see robins running across lawns or going after earthworms in your yard or a park. You can also find robins by listening for their clear, melodic singing.There are many facts about robins that most people don’t know. If your children have ever wondered about robins and how they grow from chicks to adult birds, this book is for them. The book contains dozens of beautiful photos of robins from the time they first hatch, to when their mother feeds them, until they take their first flight. It also includes many little-known facts that are sure to captivate young naturalists.

2. Model Backyard Birds Toys

Set of bird figurine toys, which contains 7 different small plastic birds. The weight of bird figure toy is 96G / 0.2LB. The set of small plastic bird contains 7 pieces of toy birds, such as robin, bluebird, oriole, woodpecker, etc. Please refer to the picture for the actual size and color.

3. Big Book of Birds

The book draws in children and parents alike with captivating information about and charming illustrations of hummingbirds, peacocks, flamingos, bald eagles, secretary birds, puffins, red-crowned cranes, and more. The book also invites young bird-watchers to protect birds where they live and make their gardens bird-friendly. The text is chatty, funny, and full of remarkable facts.

4. A Nest Full of Eggs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 1)

Named a Best Children's Science Book of the Year by Science Books & Films, this picture book shows how the birds develop inside their eggs during the spring; how they mature into fledglings in the summer; how they learn to fly in the fall; and how they leave for warmer climates in winter—only to return when spring comes around again.

5. BACKYARD BIRDSONG GUIDE EASTERN AND CENT (cl) (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Suitable for beginning bird watchers, Backyard Birdsongs is an interactive handbook of birds and their songs. With a touch-button electronic module that contains common vocalizations of seventy-five species from across eastern and central North America, this volume offers a truly sensory way to identify and get to know local birds. Crisply detailed, scientifically accurate illustrations accompany each entry, and up-to-date range maps provide clear geographical reference points. With an introduction that will inspire readers to look out their windows and venture into the field, this unique book gives people of all ages an exciting entryway into the subtle art of using birdsong to identify birds.

6. A Nest for Celeste: A Story About Art, Inspiration, and the Meaning of Home (Nest for Celeste, 1)

Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of black-and-white drawings, A Nest for Celeste is a short novel that tells the story a mouse living in the 1800s and his friendship with John James Audubon’s young apprentice. While enjoying this sweet amd appealing story, young readers will also learn about nineteenth-century plantation life and the famous naturalist who was known for his paintings of birds and American wildlife.

7. An Egg Is Quiet: (Picture Book, Kids Book about Eggs)

This stunningly beautiful and wonderfully informative book from award-winning artist Sylvia Long and author Dianna Hutts Aston makes for a fascinating introduction to the vast and amazing world of eggs. Featuring poetic text and an elegant design, this acclaimed book teaches children countless interesting facts about eggs. Full of wit and charm, An Egg Is Quiet will at once spark the imagination and cultivate a love of science.

8. Robins!: How They Grow Up

Robins are the most familiar and beloved of all birds, found throughout North America and celebrated as one of the first signs of spring. But there's a lot about them that most people don’t know! In this visually stunning picture book that features comic-book panels combined with painterly illustrations, Eileen Christelow tells the story of two young robins’ first year, and reveals plenty of little-known facts that are sure to captivate young naturalists. Narrated with humor and filled with kid-pleasing details, this fascinating account of how robins grow up includes an Author’s Note, Glossary, More About Robins, and Sources.

9. Rob the Robin: A Tale of a Feathered Friend

Join Rob the Robin on his adventure as he discovers first the difficulty of surviving a long winter and then the wonders of spring. Written as an early reader, this tale is sure to delight children with captivating photography and pictures that visually tell the story in such a way that will interest both readers and non-readers alike.

10. The American Robin

In this book, Roland Wauer offers a complete natural history of the American Robin for a popular audience. Combining his own observations as a field naturalist with data gleaned from the scientific literature, he described the American Robin from every angle - appearance and biology, distribution, behavior, life cycle, and enemies and threats. In addition, he explores the legends and lore surrounding robins ("Whoever kills a robin redbreast will never have good luck were they to live a thousand years") and offers suggestions for attracting robins to your yard with favorite food, water, landscape plantings, and nesting places.

11. American Robin Plush Authentic Bird Sound

Kids and adults love this bird stuffed animal and are captivated by its realistic sound. They are also great baby toys and used as sensory toys. With one squeeze, Audubon birds produce beautifully authentic bird calls provided by the Cornell lab of Ornithology’s bird recording archives.

How to Get the Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook

Finally, how to grab the free bird lapbook. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get this freebie.

Free North American Robin Bird Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

 1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie instantly.
3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Lapbook, Lapbooks Tagged With: American Robin, birdjournal, birds, elementary science, lapbook, lapbooking, lapbookresources, life science, science

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

January 5, 2023 | 6 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love this free bird unit study and dynamic bird lapbook. Be sure to grab my other lapbook ideas and Best Homeschool Unit Studies on my page.

And a great way to begin this unit study is to make a delicious and fun edible bird nest.

This one is a great addition to this bird unit study.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

It’s easy, adorable and tasty.

Make these edible bird nests together with your budding ornithologist as part of a bigger study.

This unit study comes just in time for National Bird Day on January 5th.

First, begin with some of these topics to cover in the bird study.

  • Common Species
  • Feathers
  • Beaks and their uses
  • Migration
  • Nests
  • Eggs
  • Calls

In addition, here are two more facts:

  1. All birds have feathers, but not all birds can fly. For example, penguins do not fly.
  2. And all birds lay eggs, breathe air, and are warm blooded.

Bird Watching Questions

Next, when we learn about birds, I find a list of questions helps to identify what type of bird we’re looking at.

These same questions can be used in your nature walk or just looking in your backyard.

  1. What is the bird doing? (Answer: Flying, perching, hopping, in water, climbing,etc.)
  2. What shape is the bird? (Answer: Look at bird head size to body proportion. And beak size to bird head. Notice the bird’s overall body size.)
  3. How big is it?
  4. Explain what are field markings. For instance, stripes, colors, patches and patterns are field markings. So then ask what field markings do you see?
  5. Are the wings round or pointed?
  6. And what shape is the bill?
  7. How is the bird behaving? (Answer: What is the feeding style, how is it moving and is it with a flock or alone,)

I would highly recommend a field guide and binoculars to do research in real life

More Hands-on Bird Activities

  • How to Make a Chalk Pastel Bird Nest Easy Drawing
  • How To Make A Blue-Footed Booby Bird Craft
  • How To Make A Fun Animal Soap Carving & A Quick Study on A Swan
  • The Colorful Blue Jays Winter Food | Make Fun Seed Slime
  • How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders With Kids

Free Bird Teacher’s Guides and Lesson Plans

In addition, here are some fun and free educator guides and lesson plans about birds.

  • A Teacher’s Guide To Hawaiian Birds This has a nice glossary for vocabulary words and pictures too.
  • Lesson Plan for the lower grades.
  • Lesson Plans for middle school.
  • High School Ideas. Citizen Science has some ideas for projects like tracking sightings, nest watch,

  • Beak Variations
  • Migration Challenge. Why do bird migrate?
  • Learning About Bird Migration
  • Preschool to Kindergarten age Lesson Plan

  • What’s in a Bird Song
  • Free Bird Coloring Pages
  • Another lesson plan for early learning.
  • Students examine historical examples of art with birds as the subject. High School
  • Name That Bird Middle to High School

Moreover, research about different types of bird nests.

5 Common Types of Bird Nests

Also, when your child knows how to observe the types of nests, then it helps to match them with type of bird.

Besides many animals build nests and birds are some of the most expert builders.

Most birds’ nests fall into 5 main types of nests.

  1. cupped (or half-cupped). Used by songbirds and are round with a dip in the center. And swallows use half-cupped nests which adhere to a surface.
  2. cavity. Woodpeckers used cavities in a tree.
  3. Pendulum or Pendant. Baltimore Orioles use suspending type sac-like nests.
  4. Scrape. Used by ground-nesting birds in open habitats. Killdeer make scrape nests.
  5. Burrow. Burrowing Owls make burrow nests.

Cupped nest. A cup nest is cup-shaped and can be made with a variety of materials such as grass, moss,
lichen, or spiderweb

Cavity nest: A cavity nest is a hollowed-out opening in the trunk of a tree.

Pendulum or pendant nest: A hanging sac-like shape, usually suspended from a small tree branch.

Scrape – A type of nest without much material and are shallow ground impressions.

Burrow – This is either a hole burrowed or borrowed from another animal.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Lastly, think about the type of materials a bird collects to build a list. Have your child collect some of them to build his special nest.

  • dried grass
  • twigs
  • green grass
  • feathers
  • hair
  • mud or dirt
  • leaves
  • bark
  • pine needles
  • straw
  • shredded plant stems
  • animal hair
  • moss
  • old spiderwebs
Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Check out some of these resources to help you cover every aspect of birds you might want to learn about.

Bird Books, Activities, and Resources

Then, add in some of these fun books and resources.

17 Books, Resources, and Activities About Birds

You'll love these fun resources if you're studying about birds. Besides, you can study about birds anytime of the year.

So, add one or two of these to your unit study, nature journaling, or just fun for the day.

1. A Place for Birds

In simple yet compelling language, Melissa Stewart showcases twelve North American birds, from the familiar eastern bluebird to the rare Kirtland's warbler. Her clear narrative shows the threats these birds face, and informative sidebars describe a wide variety of efforts to save them. In addition, remarkable full-color illustrations vividly and accurately depict the birds within the ecosystems that support their survival. Range maps and additional bird facts are also included.

2. Feathers: Not Just for Flying

Young naturalists explore sixteen birds in this elegant introduction to the many, remarkable uses of feathers. A concise main text highlights how feathers are not just for flying. More curious readers are invited to dig deeper with informative sidebars that underscore how feathers of all shapes and sizes help birds with warming or cooling, protect them from the sun, help them swim, glide or even
dig.

3. A Nest Is Noisy (Family Treasure Nature Encylopedias)

This gorgeous and informative look at the fascinating world of nests, from those of tiny bee hummingbirds to those of orangutans high in the rainforest canopy.

4. Big Book of Birds (The Big Book Series)

The book draws in children and parents alike with captivating information about and charming illustrations of hummingbirds, peacocks, flamingos, bald eagles, secretary birds, puffins, red-crowned cranes, and more. The book also invites young bird-watchers to protect birds where they live and make their gardens bird-friendly. The text is chatty, funny, and full of remarkable facts.

5. Peterson Field Guide To Birds

For decades, the Peterson Field Guide to Birdsof Eastern and Central North America has been a popular and trusted guide for birders of all levels, thanks to its famous system of identification and unparalleled illustrations. Following the Spring 2020 update to Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, this guide will feature updated text and range maps, and art updated to reflect current knowledge in ornithology. 

6. How to Feed Backyard Birds: A Step-by-Step Guide for Kids

How to Feed Backyard Birds: A Step-by-Step Guide for Kids is the perfect resource for beginners who are young (and not so young) to discover the joy of attracting birds to your yard. Bird lover and expert Chris Earley wants to share his passion for our colorful singing and flying neighbors with the whole family.

7. Wingspan Board Game - A Bird-Collection, Engine-Building Game

Competitive, card-driven, engine-building board game.

Challenging strategy game recommended for those ages 14 plus

Game includes 170 unique bird cards, 26 bonus cards and 16 Automa cards, 103 food tokens and 75 egg miniatures, 5 custom wooden dice and 5 player mats, 1 birdfeeder dice tower and 2-piece Game Trayz custom tray, 1 goal mat and 8 goal tiles, 1 first-player token and 40 action cubes, 4 clear plastic resource containers, 1 scorepad, and 3 rulebooks.

8. Beaks!

Young naturalists explore a variety of birds, their habitats, and how their beaks help them build, eat, and survive. From the twisted beak of a crossbill to the color changing bill of a seagull, readers will learn fun facts about how beaks are designed and used as tools by birds of all shapes and sizes.  Bright, bold cut-paper illustrations create amazingly realistic tableaus of birds in their natural
environments with their beaks in action.

9. Bird Figurine Toy Birds for Kids Realistic Bird

Set of bird figurine toys, which contains 7 different small plastic birds. The weight of bird figure toy is 96G / 0.2LB. The set of small plastic bird contains 7 pecies of toy birds,such as robin, bluebird, oriole, woodpecker, etc. Please refer to the picture for the actual size and color.

10. Professor Noggin's Birds of North America Trivia Card Game

PLAY & LEARN: Professor Noggin’s series of educational card games encourages kids to learn interesting facts about their favorite subjects.

FUN FACTS: Everything young birders need to know about the most common and interesting Birds of North America. Learn to identify different species and discover fascinating facts about their habitat and behavior.

CARD GAME: Each of the thirty game cards combines trivia, true or false, and multiple-choice questions. A special three-numbered die is included which adds an element of unpredictability.

11. Audubon's Birds of America Coloring Book

Including the red-winged blackbird, painted bunting, wood duck, great blue heron, ruby-throated hummingbird, purple finch, and blue jay, 46 different species of birds from all parts of the United States are included in this book. The pictures have been faithfully redrawn by Paul E. Kennedy from originals by John James Aububon (1785–1851), the most famous American painter-naturalist.

12. The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon

If there was one thing James loved to do more than anything else, it was to be in the great outdoors watching his beloved feathered friends.In the fall of 1804, he was determined to find out if the birds nesting near his Pennsylvania home would really return the following spring. Through careful observation, James laid the foundation for all that we know about migration patterns today.

13. Attracting Birds to Your Backyard: 536 Ways To Turn Your Yard and Garden Into a Haven For Your Favorite Birds

Enjoy your home and garden as never before when you have a yard that's filled with colorful birds and bird songs as well as flowers. This A-to-Z guide includes:Terrific tips and plans for building bird feeders, birdbaths, and birdhouses.Recipes for making bird food that is sure to be a hit with your feathered friends--including Chickadee Doughnut Delights and Easy Bird Treat Mini-Muffins.The 25 best plants to grow to attract birds to your yard--including columbine and honeysuckle, hummingbird favorites.How to identify and attract goldfinches, chickadees, cardinals, and more than 50 other favorite birds to your yard. Plus, you'll learn what their songs and antics really mean.

14. Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds

Describes all species found in the North American region and offers information on breeding cycles, nesting habits, and provides pictures of nestlings and eggs

15. What's That Bird? Teacher Guide

This study guide accompanies What's That Bird? published by Storey Publishing in 2005, incorporating facts to know, comprehension questions, and characteristics of specific birds. Sections include: 'Meet the Bird', 'How Birds Live', and 'The Wider World of Birds'. Student Book and What's That Bird? sold separately.

16. Paint by Sticker: Birds: Create 12 Stunning Images One Sticker at a Time!

Nature's Masterpieces—ready for paintingPeel the sticker,Paint the sticker, And watch your painting come to life.Paint by Sticker: Birds celebrates the rainbow of colors and shapes of the avian world: a red-headed woodpecker, a blue jay, an orange and black Baltimore oriole, an electric bright hummingbird.

17. Sibley Backyard Birding Flashcards

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds is now transformed into 100 easy-to-reference cards housed in one handsome pull-drawer gift box. Divided into one stack of 50 common Western and Eastern North American birds, and one stack of 50 common birds found across North America, each card features precise illustrations and text concerning habitat, behavior, and voice description necessary for easy identification. Edited with the backyard birder in mind, each bird card is accompanied with a regional map as an additional guide to migratory patterns.

Delightful Birds Lapbook

Also, you’ll love this fun delightful birds lapbooks.

It’s geared toward upper elementary to middle school-ish but of course grades are selective.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Awesome Features of the Bird Lapbook

  • You get this SAME lapbook TWO different ones. One lapbook has a facts filled in each minibook and the other lapbook has minibooks with all blank inside pages.
  • Because I use a combination of cursive and print fonts, I aim my lapbooks toward upper elementary up to high school. 
  • This lapbook is aimed at upper elementary to middle school-ish.
  • However, because one lapbook is BLANK you can use it for any age.
  • This is a .pdf instant downloadable product and not a physical product.
  • You are paying for the printables, the lapbook.
  • You can use any reference materials, books, or online resources to complete the lapbook.
  • I don’t provide links in the lapbooks for filling in the information. This keeps my prices low for my products, but I do provide free links and unit studies on my site as I can.
  • My printables are very flexible. You decide which topics you want your children to research.  Also, you can mix and match filled in and blank minibooks of your choice.
  • Dynamic Delightful Bird Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    Dynamic Delightful Bird Lapbook for Multiple Ages

    $4.00
    Add to cart

Additionally, here are more bird unit study activities.

Bird Unit Study Resources

  • Free Bird Journal
  • Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity
  • How to Make a Fun Paper Mache American Robin Bird Craft
  • Why Bats Are Not Birds Fun Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook
  • How to Make a Kid’s Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity
  • How to Make an Easy Jumbo Stick Bird Feeder with Kids
  • Hands-On Nature Study: Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity
  • Hands-On Nature Study: Make a Fun Bird Nesting Bag
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
  • Easy and Fun Nature Study: Beautiful Birds
  • How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders

Too, let’s make a fun hands-on edible nest to go with this unit study.

How to Make Edible Bird Nests

You will need:

  • 2 cups pretzel sticks
  • ¼ cup butterscotch chips
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips
  • mm’s
Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Directions:

Lay out a piece of waxed paper on the counter.

Place both kinds of chips in the microwave in a heat safe bow and heat in 20 second increments until completely melted.

Stir well to combine.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Pour pretzels into a bowl of melted chocolate and stir gently until all pretzels are completely coated.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Encourage your child to build a bird’s nest by creating a base of a few flat pretzels and then stacking to build up the sides into a cup shaped bird’s nest.

We found this recipe made about 4 good sized nests.

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

Add a few m & ms as eggs to the nest.

Let the nests sit until the chocolate has hardened, about an hour or so if your kitchen is not warm.

You can also harden it quicker by placing them in the fridge for a bit.

Once your nest has solidified you can enjoy eating it!

Free Bird Unit Study and Lapbook And Fun Edible Bird Nests

6 CommentsFiled Under: My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas} Tagged With: birdjournal, birds, cardinal bird, elementary science, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, lapbook, lapbooking, lapbookresources, lapbooks, life science, science

How to Make a Kid’s Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity

September 21, 2020 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Easy Bird Nest Activity

Nature lovers will adore this project how to make a kid’s fun and easy bird nest activity!

Hands-on, free, and so educational that it will become a favorite in your nature studies. 

Birds are fascinating from how they fly, what they eat, how they lay eggs, to how they build amazing nests to rest and raise their young in.

How to Make a Kid's Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity

A great way to learn about how birds build sturdy safe nests is to try and do it yourself!

Try to create a nest that is safe and warm for an egg and you gain a new appreciation for the amazing job these feathered creatures put together without the use of hands and those oh so helpful thumbs!

Build Your Own Bird Nest

Talk about what birds use a nest for, you may want to grab a couple of the books mentioned below.

Birds use nests as a safe place to lay and hatch their eggs.

Head outdoors and show your child how to gather up all the things a bird might use to create their nest.

If you can find one in your yard it will give you some clues as to what is used to put one together. 

How to Make a Kid's Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity

Need a little help? Look for dry twigs, green twigs and vines, bits of fluff from plants and animal fur, moss, and long leaves.

I added some bits of string to our pile since birds will use whatever they can find to construct their homes including animal fur, fabric, and other items left behind by humans.

Bring all your items in and place them in a pile so your child can see what there is to work with.

How to Make a Kid's Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity

Make a circle with some of the green bendable twigs and tie it off, if you need to use some of that string to secure it.

Add items to the inside to fill it in and build up to create that cup shape of a common bird nest.

How to Make a Kid's Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity

Braiding, twisting, tucking, and wrapping helps make your nest more solid and secure. Is your nest ready to hold an egg?

Grab an egg from the fridge and let your child test out their nest.

Birds and Bird Nest Vocabulary

Use these words to create spelling and vocabulary words for your child whatever age or level of learning they are at. 

Make flashcards, use them as story starters, have them drawer the definition

  • Nest
  • Beak
  • Raptor
  • Wingspan
  • Feather
  • Incubate
  • Nestling
  • Fledgling
  • Aviary
  • Hatchling
  • Rookery
  • Crest
  • Crown 
  • Hatch
  • Parliament
  • Tarsus

More Bird Activities For Unit Studies

Keep on expanding upon this activity by turning it into a full study with books, games, and some fun activities, I have lots of ideas for you below!

The Basement Workshop Store
  • Keep a watch on your backyard and make a Bird Color Bar Graph to keep track of what types of birds visit each day.
  • Make your own bird from a styrofoam ball and craft feathers to learn the anatomy of a bird.
  • Put together this free Bird Journal.
  • Make a bird feeder and/or a birdbath to attract more winged friends to your yard.
  • Make a Bird Nesting Bag to help local birds with extra supplies to put together their next.
  • Build a bird house to attract whatever kind of birds you would like. Check out pinterest for house plans for songbirds, woodpeckers, owls, and more.
  • Draw a Birds Nest in Chalk Pastel with this Youtube tutorial from You Are an Artist
  • Watch this Bald Eagle Cam in Washington, DC.
  • For young children pour a think layer of birdseed in a shallow pan and let them practice writing their letters with a finger.
  • Investigate the different types of bird nests- Burrow, cavity, platform, cup, ground, scrape, mound, pendant and sphere. Identify at least one bird for each type of nest.

Games about Birds

Look at these games about birds.

Books about Birds

A Nest is Noisy 

You’ll love these other nature loving and bird activities:

How to Make a Kid's Fun and Easy Bird Nest Activity
  • North American Robin Unit Study and Lapbook
  • How to Make an Easy Jumbo Stick Bird Feeder with Kids
  • Colorful Winter Bird: Northern Cardinal Lapbook & Unit Study
  • Easy and Fun Nature Study: Beautiful Birds
  • Winter Nature Craft: How to Make Easy DIY Bird Feeders
  • Free Bird Journal – Hands-on Nature (Coloring & Identification Pages)
  • How Animals Cope With the Cold (Easy Nature Study)
  • How to Make an Easy Nature Paint Brush With Kids
  • Foraging and Feasting Nature Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Wildflowers Unit Study & Lapbook
  • Hands-On Mixed Media Flower Art Fun Nature Study
  • Hands-On Literature Nature Study: Simple Tree Craft

Hugs and love ya,

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, Nature Based Activities, Science Tagged With: birdjournal, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, nature, nature journaling, nature study, science

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Privacy Policy | About Me | Reviews | Contact | Advertise

Categories

Archives

Tina Robertson is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 · 5 TNT LLC · Log in · Privacy Policy