Teach the children about geography as a start to understanding bird migration. Place a large map showing North and South America for the preschoolers to view. Mark the location on the map of where you live. Discuss climates north, south, east and west of your region.
Ask the children questions about what differences they see in plant growth in the winter. Depending on where you live, winter may provide a lot of growth or very limited plants. Explain how insects and birds depend on flowers and plants for food. Explain that birds predominately move to find food, not to escape cold, according to Cornell University.
Contact your area extension service for a list of birds that migrate through your state during the winter and which birds typically winter in your area. Provide pictures of at least five to eight different birds that migrate for the children to view or to color. Include birds that migrate short distances; longer distances such as several states; and a couple that go from one country to another, such as Canada to the U.S. or the U.S. to countries in South America.
Make two small copies of pictures several birds. Place one picture on the map in the region the bird lives in the summer and another where it lives in the winter. Draw a line or pin yarn from each bird’s summer to winter home. For older children, print out sheets and have them draw a line from the summer to winter home.
Ask the children to list ways they dress differently in the summer and winter months. Provide pictures of cool and warm clothing and ask younger children to sort the clothes into a stack for summer or winter. Next, show the children pictures of birds that look different in the summer and winter. Provide the children with pictures of male and female birds in the summer and winter to demonstrate how many males lose color and look more like the females.
Provide the children with pictures of birds that remain in your area during the winter. Discuss the types of food each bird likes to eat. Common foods include sunflower seeds, suet cakes, peanuts, thistle or safflower, according to retired West Virginia University Extension service program specialist Norma Venable. Place a bird feeder with food, or ask parents to put up a bird feeder at home, so the children can see birds feeding and draw or take pictures of them.