Counting sheets, PowerPoints, games, lesson plans & craft templates
KS1, KS2, KS3
Years R-9
The RSPB Birdwatch is a UK-wide survey of birds. The Big Schools Birdwatch is a special school version of the initiative. Every year, 60,000 children take part, spending an hour outside recording the wildlife they see.
RSPB Birdwatch 2025 dates
Get outside and counting at school between January and February 2025. The last day for sending in your results is yet to be announced, but we’ll update you once we know.
RSPB Big Schools Birdwatch resources
Introductory PowerPoint
Introduce the idea of the RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch with the included PowerPoint for KS1-KS2.
RSPB Birdwatch sheet
These RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch counting sheets are perfect for helping you take part in this year’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch.
The counting sheets will help you to count and identify birds in your school grounds. The worksheets contain a selection of the birds that you’re most likely to see, plus a space to write in anything unexpected that you see.
We’ve got sheets for:
- Under-fives
- 5-7 year olds
- 7-11 year olds
- 11-14 year olds
Top-Trumps style game
Use these Birdwatch Top Trumps style cards to compare wingspan, weight and other features of common UK birds. Alternatively, play a matching pairs game with the included instructions and picture cards.
PowerPoint stories for EYFS-KS1
Teach EYFS-KS1 pupils what garden birds like to eat and how to identify them with the two included PowerPoint stories from the RSPB.
Big Schools’ Birdwatch Early Years lesson plan
Inside this download you’ll find an Early Years resource containing a lesson plan, a Lucky Duck story book and instructions for making a paper plate bird and feeder, alongside teacher notes to help you deliver the lesson.
More Big Schools’ Birdwatch activities
Download five Big Schools’ Birdwatch activity sheets to help EYFS-KS2 pupils label the parts of a bird and learn how to make edible pictures, bird food and bird feeders.
Use paper templates to make 14 ‘snappers’, ranging from blackbirds and bluetits to redwings and robins.
Welsh resources
Download supporting resources for EYFS-KS3 in Welsh. The download also includes counting sheets and an introductory PowerPoint to the Birdwatch in Welsh.
Why join in with the RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch?
Participating in the RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch is an opportunity for children to connect with nature, learn about biodiversity and understand the importance of bird conservation.
Birdwatching provides hands-on learning experiences that promote observation, data collection and analysis skills.
The Birdwatch can also engage your local community, creating stronger relationships between your school and local residents who share an interest in nature. You can integrate this interdisciplinary activity into various subjects – it’s a versatile educational tool.
By participating, students will gain a sense of achievement and a connection to a broader conservation effort. This experience may just foster a lifelong conservation ethic.
Additionally, birdwatching can have positive effects on mental wellbeing by reducing stress, increasing mindfulness and promoting a sense of wonder and connection with the natural world.
Don’t forget to register for your free Big Schools’ Birdwatch resource and report what you found. Follow the RSPB on Twitter at @RSPB_Learning. Want more resources? Download free EYFS and KS1 Birdwatch resources from literacy resources website Plazoom.