Children will always remember their first discoveries when out getting wild in nature – from the thrill of finding an earthworm under a rock to spotting a family of starlings squabbling for food.
With the positive impact nature has on children’s learning, physical health and emotional wellbeing, it is more important than ever that we are helping young people to experience, learn and value the natural world.
Big Schools’ Birdwatch takes place during the first half of the spring term (5 January-21 February). The Birdwatch involves children watching and counting the birds that visit their outdoor space, before sending the results to the RSPB.
There is a Big Schools’ Birdwatch pack dedicated to early years settings, helping even the youngest learners to be a part of the UK’s largest citizen science project for schools. Resources include counting sheets with subitizing and tens frames. Plus, large illustrations of commonly seen birds with facts on the reverse.
Other resources are available to download freely, including our ‘Lucky Duck’ story. It focuses on supporting values education by looking at the unique qualities and differences in features and talents of familiar birds.
This story has been written to inspire children’s thinking and to provide a child-centred starting point that we hope will begin a journey of engagement.
Big Schools’ Birdwatch works well for the free-flow structure of early years settings, making it easy for all children to access and participate as part of everyday routines.
We have ensured that what we are asking early years teachers to do complements the EYFS and really supports children’s Understanding the World. Learners will be able to comment and ask questions about their familiar world, recognise similarities, differences, patterns and change in what they see and experience, as well as showing care and concern for living things and the environment.
By using our early year’s resources, children can develop their CoEL skills through making links between their own needs and that of the birds that visit their outdoor space. They will be finding out and exploring what is already welcoming birds to the setting and feel proud as they achieve what they set out to do by counting and identifying some familiar birds that visit.
Settings can improve their grounds for nature, and children can also transfer their experiences to home and other familiar settings.
