World Sparrow Day | EYFS & KS1 Activity Ideas

**Note: This page is for educational inspiration and is not officially affiliated with World Sparrow Day. For official information, themes, and resources, please visit the Nature Forever Society's World Sparrow Day website: www.natureforever.org/wildlife-conservation/world-sparrow-day/.

Understanding World Sparrow Day in EYFS & KS1

Let's look closely at the little birds around us and learn how we can help them! 🐦🏡 World Sparrow Day (WSD) is a special international day celebrated every year on March 20th. It's all about helping people learn more about the house sparrow and other common birds. It highlights why we need to protect these birds and their homes. This day was started by a group called the Nature Forever Society in India, working with other groups from around the world. The main goal is to show that sparrow numbers are going down and to help us understand how changes in our environment affect all common birds. It encourages us to do things to help protect them and where they live.

For early years settings, nurseries, preschools, childminders, and Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms, this day provides a wonderful and accessible theme for exploring nature, wildlife conservation, understanding the world, environmental awareness, and personal, social & emotional development (PSED). It's about helping children connect with the small creatures in their immediate environment, fostering empathy for animals, and understanding that even little actions can make a big difference in protecting nature. This day offers fantastic planning ideas and inspiration for engaging activities that truly resonate with young minds, making learning about nature and caring for our planet both essential and inspiring.

Why Is Learning About Sparrows & Bird Conservation Important for Young Children?

Integrating World Sparrow Day and lessons about sparrows and bird conservation into your practice with young children (aged 0-7) can help build an early love for nature, promoting environmental responsibility, and understanding the interconnectedness of living things.

• Connects with Local Wildlife: Helps children notice and appreciate common birds found right in their gardens or local parks.

• Fosters Empathy for Animals: Encourages caring attitudes towards living creatures, especially those that might be struggling.

• Introduces Conservation Concepts: Simplifies the idea that humans can positively impact animal populations through simple actions.

• Environmental Awareness: Links the health of bird populations to the overall health of our environment.

• Encourages Observation Skills: Promotes careful watching and listening, key scientific observation skills.

• Outdoor Learning Opportunities: Naturally leads to outdoor exploration and interaction with nature.

Engaging Sparrow & Bird Activities for World Sparrow Day (0-7 Year Olds)

Let's put on our bird-watching hats and learn how to be super helpers for sparrows and all our feathered friends for World Sparrow Day with these planning ideas and activities perfect for EYFS and KS1 children. The focus is on observation, learning about birds, and simple acts of care! Many of these early years and year 1 activities can be supported by our dedicated 'Birds', 'Recycling', 'The Environment', and 'Wildlife' resources.

Here's some inspiration for celebrating World Sparrow Day in your setting: (Please use your own discretion and knowledge of your children to ensure appropriateness of each activity and safety concerning any materials given and activity undertaken.)

• Sparrow Study: Focus on the sparrow specifically. Use 'Sparrow Body Parts - Poster & Writing Sheets' to learn about their features.

• Bird Watching in the Garden: Set up a bird-watching station near a window or outdoors. Use 'Garden Birdwatch Mat' to record observations. Provide 'UK Birdwatch Draw What You See - Binoculars' sheets.

• Identify UK Garden Birds: Introduce children to common UK garden birds. Use 'UK Garden Birds Colouring’ and 'UK Garden Birds Colouring' for creative expression. Display 'Garden Birdwatch Word Cards' to help with identification.

• Body Parts of Other Birds: Compare sparrows to other birds using our body parts posters for 'Blackbird Body Parts - Poster & Writing Sheets', 'Blue Tit Body Parts - Poster & Writing Sheets', 'Pigeon Body Parts - Poster & Writing Sheets', 'Pigeon Body Parts - Poster & Writing Sheets', and 'Robin Body Parts - Poster & Writing Sheets'.

• Helping Birds: Discuss simple ways we can help birds, especially in colder months. Use 'Helping Wildlife in Winter' Poster', 'Helping Wildlife in Winter - Banner', 'Helping Wildlife in Winter' Cards', 'Helping Wildlife in Winter' Poster', 'Helping Wildlife in Winter - Illustrations Activity', 'Helping Wildlife in Winter' Cards - Colouring', and 'Helping Wildlife in Winter - Feeding Poster'.

  • Consider making simple bird feeders using recycled materials (e.g., pine cones with peanut butter and seeds, or plastic bottles). This links to our 'Recycling' theme.

  • Use 'Decorate a Bird Box Multimat - Playdough, Loose Parts, Art & Crafts' for a creative activity related to providing homes for birds.

• Bird Themed Literacy & Numeracy:

  • Practice fine motor skills and pre-writing with 'Feed the Robin Pencil Control Mats', 'Feed the Robin Pencil Control Mats', 'Feed the Sparrow Pencil Control Activity Sheets', and 'Feed the Sparrow Pencil Control Mats'.

  • Engage with maths using 'UK Birds Number Slice Puzzles (1-5 & 1-10)', 'UK Birds Number Slice Puzzles (1-5 & 1-10)', 'UK Birds Number Slice Puzzles - Colouring (1-5 & 1-10)', 'Feed the Sparrow Counting Puzzles', 'Winter Robin Number Line/Posters/Cards 0-100', and 'Winter Robin/Worms Number/Counting Activity'.

  • Reinforce phonics with 'Feed the Robin Letters & Sounds Dice Game - Phase 2 & 3', and 'Mummy Owl and Owlets' Letters and Sounds Dice Game - Phase 2 and 3 Phonics'.

  • Develop imaginative play with 'UK Garden Bird Pom Pom Mats' and 'UK Garden Bird 2-Piece Puzzles'.

• Life Cycles: Discuss the life cycle of birds using 'Endless Life Cycle Puzzles'.

• Creative Bird Activities:

  • Encourage children to 'Design Your Own UK Garden Bird Sheets'.

  • Have them draw what they see during bird watching using 'Birdwatch Draw What You See - Branch' or 'My Favourite Garden Bird Sheets'.

  • Play games like 'Garden Birdwatch Egg Match Game' and 'Garden Birdwatch Picture Snap Cards Game'.

• Beyond Sparrows: Expand learning to other wildlife.

  • Explore woodland animals and birds with 'Woodland Wildlife Walk - Winter', 'Woodland Wildlife - Winter 'Draw & Write', 'Woodland Wildlife Walk - Autumn', 'Woodland Wildlife Walk - Spring', 'Woodland Birds - Egg Match Puzzles', 'Woodland Birds - Fact Cards’

  • Encourage observation skills with 'Woodland Wildlife - Mindfulness Scavenger Hunt Prompt Cards' and 'Woodland Wildlife - Mindfulness Scavenger Hunt Sheets'.

  • Discuss how animals adapt to winter with 'Animals in Winter UK Hibernation Poster' and 'Winter Size Ordering Picture Activities'.

• Explore More: Please visit our ‘Birds’ page to browse our entire collection of educational materials on this theme. You may also like to explore additional pages covering relevant and/or connected themes such such as ‘Animals’, ‘Autumn’, ‘Beach School’, ‘Endangered Animals’, ‘Forest School’, ‘Gardening’, ‘Habitats’, ‘Invertebrates’, ‘Life Cycles’, ‘Mammals’, ‘Minibeasts’, ‘Ocean’, ‘Out and About’, ‘Plants’, ‘Polar’, ‘Recycling’, ‘Reptiles’, ‘Spring’, ‘The Environment’, ‘Under the Sea’, ‘Water’, ‘Wetlands’, ‘Wildlife’, and ‘Woodland (Temperate)’.

These activities offer great inspiration for making World Sparrow Day a memorable and impactful experience in your early years and Key Stage One setting, fostering nature connection, environmental stewardship, and a deep appreciation for the birds that share our world. To explore ideas surrounding additional early years events, please visit our 'Special Dates Calendar' page.

Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: ‘World Sparrow Day’

Free Bird related activities for EYFS & KS1:

‘Sparrow’ and ‘UK Garden Bird’ related activities for EYFS & KS1:

‘Helping Wildlife in Winter’ activities for EYFS & KS1:

Please visit our ‘Birds’ page to browse our entire collection of educational materials on this theme.

Additional Pages you may like to explore which cover relevant &/or Connected themes

More Early Years Event Pages for March

Explore special dates (including awareness dates, festivals, celebrations & events) relevant to your EYFS & KS1 children

Browse our ‘Special Dates Calendar’ page using the link below. You’ll find calendars for every month of the year to aid your planning!

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Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'World Sparrow Day'. We are not officially affiliated with or endorsed by the Nature Forever Society or the Eco-Sys Action Foundation, which founded this event. We do not claim any rights to specific trademarks or official materials associated with this event. For official information, themes, and to learn more about sparrow conservation and protecting common bird species, please visit the Nature Forever Society's World Sparrow Day website: www.natureforever.org/wildlife-conservation/world-sparrow-day/.