These downloadable bird games are a fun way for children—and adults!—to celebrate the outdoors whether you’re stuck inside on a rainy day, exploring your backyard on a sunny one, looking for unexpected fun and games for a birthday party or playdate or even trying to teach your kids a thing or two (while they think they’re just having fun!).
BIRD TRIVIA CARDS
The fun starts with our downloadable bird trivia facts with drawings and facts about 10 common birds. (These are found in North America, but you can make up a few cards that are local wherever you are; gather info on sites like BirdWatchingHQ.) They’re the basis of most of the the games below, but you can also use them for:
—Placecards (write names at the top) or tablecards for a bird-themed party or to assign teams (Bluebirds, over here!)
—Celebrity: To play this game, tape a card to each player’s back and have them go around asking questions of the other players until they figure out “who” they are. (What color am I? What do I eat?)
—Dramatic Play: Assign each kid a “character” and have them improvise a play featuring a flock of fine feathered friends.
To use, just download our Bird Trivia Cards Template, print on paper or card stock, and cut out.
I SPY BIRD SEARCH
Here’s how to have a safari in your own back yard: Print out our bird search featuring common North American birds, then walk around trying to spot them. You can play for an afternoon, a week, or all year round waiting to see who can check off every single species. You might also take this game:
—To a park, reservoir, zoo, or other spot where you’re likely to see flocks of birds
—On a road trip or vacation. You can draw in other birds you see that aren’t on the list—for help identifying them by photo or by their birdsong, check out apps like Song Sleuth, Smart Bird ID, or Picture Bird Identifier.
—To have it laminated. Leave it on your porch or in your car so it’s handy whenever a bird flies by. Or frame a paper sheet for decor in a cabin or on the wall of a nature-obsessed kid.
BIRD TRIVIA GAME
Match the fun fact to the feathered friend. Download and print out our Trivia Game (and answer key) and see who can complete it the fastest and most accurately. Or, set a time limit and see who has the most right answers when the bell rings.
While you’re printing out copies for a game night, playdate or party, make a few extras to keep in your purse for dinners out with kids—it’s a more educational alternative to the color-in placemat that buys parents peace and quiet until the entrées come!
BIRD COLOR MATCHING GAME
Color this game fun—and educational! Our downloadable sheet tests your knowledge of America’s 10 most common birds by matching their names to the colors of their feathers. Set a time limit to make things interesting or let everyone take their sweet time and just see who completes the sheet first.
BIRD MEMORY GAME
Birds of a feather flock together. But in this memory game, it’s your job to match the pair. To play, download our Bird Memory Game template and print it out twice. Cut it into cards, shuffle the cards, flip them over so the bird image is covered, and take turns picking pairs to see who can make the most matches. (Use paper that’s thick enough so that the bird image doesn’t show through on the other side.) To make the game even more interesting:
—Set up a timer so that you only have a 10—or 5—minutes to make as many matches as possible.
—Print out four sheets of cards so there are more birds and more chances to pick out the wrong “match.”
—Print out four sheets of cards and make players find the whole quartet before they can remove them from play.
The trickier it gets, the more the winner will be flying high!
