In nearly every corner of the globe, you’ll be able to find birds. Some live in forests while others live near the ocean, but birds are everywhere. This means it’s easy to use bird figurines to teach children about geography and other cultures. Take a look at a few of the awesome birds you can show your kids.
Table of Contents
Using Bird Figurines To Showcase Different Habitats
This is a fun activity that’s great for an afternoon inside the house or classroom. You can start with a few birds from different areas and go from there, or use bird toys that represent a child’s favorite character.
Bald Eagles
If you want to start close to home, start with bald eagles. Chances are your child has seen a picture of an eagle before since they are the national bird of the United States. Take the time to show your child pictures of the kinds of mountains, forests and trees eagles tend to live in. People who live in eagle habitats can even go the extra mile and plan a day of bird watching.
Toucans
All it takes is a bowl of a certain fruity cereal to spark an interest in the toucan. While your child may be familiar with the cartoon version, it will be fun to show them a detailed figurine along with videos of the South American rainforests where these birds live most often. You can explain how its large bill is used to pick and eat fruit from tropical trees and fish from rivers and lakes.
Emperor Penguins
You can get bird figurines for cold-weather birds as well, such as the Emperor penguin. This version includes a parent sheltering a chick. Use this as a starting point to explain how cold the Antarctic region is, with strong winds and lots of snow. You can explain that the parent penguin has to shelter the baby from the elements, expanding your child’s knowledge of different parts of the world.
Get Creative
You don’t have to stop by just explaining the different climates to your children. Be creative and find ways to expand their learning. For instance, if there is a zoo or aquarium with any of these birds, take your child to visit. Often these facilities create enclosures that mimic the animals’ natural habitats. You can also ask your child to draw the environment they think each kind of bird would live in.
Use bird figurines to help with your child’s sense of reasoning as well. See if they can explain why birds such as hummingbirds and flamingoes may need different environments to thrive. As they learn more, they’ll be able to understand the needs of different animals on a deeper level.
Start Learning With Bird Figurines
When it’s time to switch up lesson time with the little ones, consider using bird figurines to take your kids on a journey around the world. They can learn about different climates while having fun.