This bird theme lesson plan for preschool or kindergarten has everything you need to explore birds and their habitats with your early learners.
Bird and Nest Thematic Unit
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Invite your preschoolers to explore birds and their nests with the activities in this prepared study unit. Fill your weekly planner with a wide variety of activities – books, crafts, games -to support learning through play.
This bird unit was built with our A-B-C Program Model. This method of program planning helps make your task easy and stress-free, and ensures a wide range of activities that support development of early childhood skills – fine motor and large motor; language; social; cognitive.
A = Activities B = Books C = Crafts.
Download and print this sample week of activities. Everything scheduled in the planner is explained in detail in this post.
Bird and Nest Theme Preschool Week of Activities
This is just an example of how you can fill your weekly planner. There are lots of other options in this post.
You can easily plan a week or more of engaging activities for your preschoolers with these ideas for learning about birds and their nests.
A is for Activities
* Take-Away Game
Place several toy birds or pictures of birds on a table. Place a cloth over the items after everyone has had time to look at the all the items. Remove one item, keeping it hidden from view. Lift the cloth to reveal the remaining items. Guess which one was removed.
* Which One Doesn’t Belong
Place several bird figurines on a table. Add animal figurines. Take turns picking out the figurines that are not birds. Name the animal and mimic the sound it makes as you remove it from the table.
* Fingerplays
Here is a Nest for a Robin
Here is a nest for a robin (cup hands together in a bowl shape)
Here is a hive for a bee (touch wrists and fingertips together, palms facing each other)
Here is a cave for a bear (crouch and cover head with arms)
And here is a house for me. (arms overhead in a “V” with fingertips touching)
Two Little Blackbirds
Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill. (Place a thumb on each shoulder)
One named Jack and one named Jill. (Lift a thumb as you say each name)
Fly away Jack. (Raise one thumb and ‘fly’ your hand behind your back)
Fly away Jill. (Raise the other thumb and ‘fly’ your hand behind your back)
Come back Jack. (Return your thumb to your rest on your shoulder)
Come back Jill. (Return your other thumb to your shoulder.
Five Little Robins
Five little robins happy as can be (hold up five fingers on your right hand)
One flew away to a nest in a tree (fold thumb into your palm)
Four little robins happy as can be
One flew away to a nest in a tree (fold pointer finger on top of thumb)
Three little robins happy as can be
One flew away to a nest in a tree. (fold middle finger down)
Two little robins happy as can be
One flew away to a nest in a tree (fold ring finger down)
One little robin happy as can be
Flew away to a nest in a tree. (fold pinkie finger down)
Five little robins happy as can be
All curled up in their nest in a tree (make a bowl for a nest with your left hand and place the folded fingers of the left hand into the nest).
* Songs
Robin in the Rain
Six Little Ducks That I Once Knew
Listen to the Water (I saw some ducks by the waterside)
Down By the Bay (Did you ever see a chick carrying a brick; Did you ever see an owl wearing a towel; Did you ever hear a bird saying a word.)
I Had a Rooster
Old MacDonald Had a Farm (And on that farm he had a duck; hen; rooster)
* Role play
Pretend to be the farmer sprinkling food on the ground for the chicks.
Move like chickens in the barnyard: flap arms (wings); hop from one foot to the other; make clucking noises; bob up and down to peck at seeds on the ground.
* Parachute
Children stand in a circle holding the edges of the parachute. Place a toy bird in the parachute. Place a cushion under the parachute for the bird’s nest. Children shake the parachute to bounce the toy bird around in the parachute until it falls through the hole and returns to its nest.
* Conversation
How do birds build their nests? What do birds eat? Where do birds go in winter?
This book provides facts and information that will generate ideas for discussions.
From puffins to penguins, each page is filled with pictures and text about birds and their habitats.
*Outdoor activities
Listen for bird calls. Imitate bird calls. Create your own bird sounds.
Move like birds. Curl up like a bird in its nest. Spread arms out like wings and swoop around the yard.
*Activity Sheets Resource
B is for Books
C is for Crafts
Bird Nest Fine Motor Craft With Mixed Materials
Bird Nest in a Tree Painting Activity
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Bird theme lesson plan prepared unit
Add this study unit to your spring theme or nature theme in preschool to learn about birds and their nests. The hands-on activities provide fun ways for kids to learn as they play everyday.
