Viewing wildlife in its natural habitat is a great way to nurture a child’s love for nature and create a knowledge of wild animals and birds that goes beyond videos, books and trips to the zoo. And while the emotion of spotting a lion, bison or bald eagle may be enough to calm an energetic child’s need for motion and noise, not all young children possess the patience to be quiet and still while you search for wildlife or their travel companions linger to take yet another perfect photograph. The following wildlife viewing tips will ensure the kids aren’t shouting resounding ‘Mom, can we go home now’ only minutes after you begin your tour.

Before you depart
Research the wildlife you want to spot as well as the destination you are traveling to.

• Plan your trip to coincide with the peak wildlife season.
• Determine the best place for spotting animals and birds.
• Organize wildlife watching trips for the early morning or late evening.
• Hire an outfitter or guide that caters to families and has experience with children.

Engage the kids
Introduce the kids to the animals and birds they are likely to see on your wildlife watching trip.

• Investigate wildlife as well as its habitat.
• Help them learn to identify animal tracks.
• Research the natural history of the area together.

Make it fun
Knowing where and how to look for wildlife will increase your child’s chance of spotting birds and animals and it will help him or her understand the need to be alert, patient and quiet.

• Scan the horizon rather and rather than focusing on a bush or tree.
• Detect motion from a bird in flight to the twitch of an ear.
• Look for shapes that stand apart from the geography.
• Watch for the flash of color both in the sky and on the ground.
• Look at the edge of the animal’s habitat, be it a forest, field or pond.
• Keep an eye out for signs, from animal tracks to gnawed wood, that animals have been there.
• Don’t focus only on sight, listen to the sounds and detect the smells.

Turn your outing into a wildlife adventure
Spotting wildlife is only part of the fun. Include the following in your child’s daypack and turn the family outing into a wildlife adventure.

• Field guide.
• Animal or bird checklist.
• Binoculars.
• Camera, many disposable models work fine.
• Notebook to record ‘evidence’ of what they see.

Don’t forget to pack a pencil or pen!