School’s out: fun for kids and chickens

Summer break is finally here, and what better way to spend the season than with screen-free, family fun? Now that school’s out, fun for kids and chickens is never in short supply. Find out how chickens can help teach your children important life skills and lessons, even while formal academics are on hold. 

Children and chickens 

Chickens can teach children responsibility, provide entertainment, and offer companionship. From cleaning the chicken coop and collecting eggs to engaging in fun activities with the flock, kids can benefit from even just a small group of backyard hens. Here are some screen-free, wholesome summer fun for your children to enjoy. 

Chicken chores 

Chickens are relatively easy to care for, which make them great pets for children of all ages. School-aged children especially can benefit from caring for chickens over the summer, as they can be responsible for more of their care. Letting your child help feed the flock, collect eggs, and clean the coop can teach valuable life lessons. 

Here are some ideas to help get your kids involved in chicken care over the summer: 

• Have younger children help you clean the chicken coop, or turn over this task to older children (a pressure washer or garden hose can make this prospect even more exciting)
• Let your child help feed, water, and offer treats to the flock 
• Plant chicken-safe plants and herbs around the run together to provide treats and enrichment for your hens 
• Have your children help you make a chicken dust bath with seasonal ingredients like dried herbs or flowers 
• Make homemade chicken treats — like fresh fruit and veggie ice molds — together and let your children hang them in the run 
• If you have a mobile chicken coop, let older children help move your flock to fresh grass 

You should remain the primary caretaker for your flock, but turning over some flock responsibilities to your children will get them outside, teach them the value of a job well done, and enable them to experience the joy of bonding with animals. 

Poultry play dates 

Caring for chickens is far from “all work and no play.” There are several activities that your chickens and children can enjoy together. And, since chickens reside outdoors, this is a perfect opportunity to get your kids out of the house and into the sunshine and fresh air of summer. 

If your children haven’t been as involved in caring for chickens throughout the year, start introducing them to your flock as another caretaker by having them offer their scratch grains or treats for a few days. Before long, your flock will come running at the sight or sound of your child’s voice — which is the start of a long and happy friendship. 

Have your kids hide or toss some scratch into piles of hay or grass clippings for the flock to scratch through for a flock-friendly scavenger hunt, or encourage your children to spend time reading to your hens to get them used to their voice. Teach your children how to properly hold hens, and let older children help you perform chicken health checks. 

Egg enrichment 

Eggs are a nutritious, versatile superfood that your children can have fun collecting and transforming into tasty summertime treats. From homemade ice cream and cookies to hearty breakfasts, eggs help fuel the fun of summer. 

Have younger children help you crack eggs into recipes, or teach older children how to cook or bake with eggs. Find new recipes that require eggs, or practice new ways to prepare them on their own like soft boiled or poached eggs. And to help your kids’ math skills stay sharp, have younger children measure ingredients and older children convert for doubling or halving recipes, or for different units of measurement and temperature. 

Chicken crafts 

Like summer camp, but in your own backyard — crafts are a favorite pastime of the season. But have you thought up ways for your chickens to be the “backyard camp counselors”? Here are a few ideas to get started: 

• Have your child personalize their own egg basket to use 
• Help younger children make name plates or signs for each hen, or have older children design their own to be displayed on the chicken run or fencing 
• Create daily egg containers to sort eggs throughout the week
• Make crafts with feathers from the flock 
• String chicken-safe treats like popcorn or fruits and veggies to make a garland to hang in the run 

Summer school: chicken edition 

Chickens provide so many learning opportunities that extend far beyond the coop. For some extra education this summer, teach your children about the fascinating habits, instincts, and biology of chickens: 

• Crack a fresh egg and identify the different parts. For older children, teach them the process of chickens laying eggs, and how they develop if they’re fertilized. 
• Have your children identify the sounds of chickens and what each means. 
• Talk about the different breeds of chickens in your flock — with bonus points for identifying their colors and patterns. 
• If you have a rooster, consider incubating eggs and discuss their development along the way. 
• Discuss the anatomy of chickens, why and when chickens molt, and their history of domestication. 
• Observe the natural rhythms and behaviors of hens — what time of the day they lay their eggs, eat, and head to the roost. 

These lessons are much more rewarding when witnessed in person, and when you have a backyard flock, the opportunities are endless. 

Omlet and your flock 

We specialize in chicken products that bring flocks and their families closer together. From easy to clean chicken coops and spacious walk in chicken runs, to chicken peck toys and perches, your children can be delighted this summer — and all year round — by your backyard flock. See why thousands of chicken keepers choose Omlet, and discover fun, worry-free flock raising. 

This entry was posted in Chickens