Published on Thursday, April 30 2026
by landrianina in Blog
Dear Families,
After long winter months, the first signs of spring are finally beginning to appear. The sun rises earlier in the morning, temperatures are warming up, and nature is slowly coming back to life.
Among the most striking changes is the return of the birds. Their presence, their songs, and their movements remind us that the seasons follow their cycle, and that life is gradually returning.
In this newsletter, I invite you to observe the arrival of spring through the return of birds to our region, to discover how to build a bird feeder, to watch these winged visitors with the children, and to share with you what the children have experienced in the early childhood centres over the past few weeks.
Enjoy reading,
Mathieu Lambert
CPE Forest Project Coordinator and Outdoor Education Advisor, Carrefour francophone.
With the arrival of spring, a very special phenomenon captures the attention of children and adults alike: the return of migratory birds.
After spending the winter in warmer regions, many species are gradually returning to Northern Ontario, taking advantage of the return of finally more favorable conditions.
In Sudbury and the surrounding area, you can spot many different birds:
It is easily recognizable: it is a large bird with a brown body, a long black neck, and a white patch under its chin. It is often seen flying in a “V” formation in the sky, along with other Canada geese. This formation allows them to conserve energy, stay together, and communicate with one another while flying.
On the ground, they can usually be seen near bodies of water, in parks, or in open areas.
You can choose to study them with the children by listening to their very distinctive calls, observing their movements in groups, or wondering where they are going and where they are coming from.
Did you know?
When observing Canada geese, it is important to keep your distance, especially in the spring. During this time, they may be accompanied by their goslings and become very protective. If they feel threatened, they may display intimidating behavior: hissing, spreading their wings, or even attempting to intimidate.
It is therefore best to observe them from a distance, avoid approaching or running toward them, and explain to children that their behavior is normal and helps them protect their family.
This is also a great opportunity to talk to children about respecting animals and their space.
The American robin is often one of the first signs of spring. It is easily recognizable by its orange breast, dark brown back, and melodious song.
It is often seen hopping along the ground in search of worms or insects.
You can take the time to observe them with the children by watching how they move, listening to their song in the morning or at the end of the day, and discovering where they look for food.
Unlike the European robin, the American robin is larger and lives mainly on the ground; this is where it looks for food.
Did you know ?
Last winter, a rather exceptional event caught the attention of many bird enthusiasts and curious onlookers.
A robin was spotted in Montreal. Yes, a real robin, just like the ones usually found in Europe! What makes this sighting remarkable is that this bird is extremely rare in North America. At the time, it was the only individual sighted on the entire continent.
Word spread very quickly. People came from far away—sometimes from other provinces, and even from the United States—just for a chance to catch a glimpse of it.
This story may seem surprising, but it is also very educational.
It gives us the opportunity to ask the children several questions:
Telling this story provides an opportunity to discuss bird movements, migration, differences between species, and even the effects of environmental changes on animals and their behavior.
What if, instead of waiting for them to pass by, we invited them to come to us?
As we have seen, spring is the perfect time to watch birds in their natural habitat. But there are also other birds—smaller and sometimes more elusive—that are easy to spot if you give them a chance to come closer.
To do this, you could, for example, build a bird feeder. It is a simple, accessible, and engaging activity for children.
A bird feeder attracts birds to a specific area. It is perfect for letting children observe which birds visit, when they come, and how they behave, day after day. It thus becomes an educational tool.
Through this activity, children can begin to recognize different species, observe their behaviors, ask questions, and make observations. Additionally, it encourages them to slow down and observe, build patience, create moments of calm, and develop language skills.
Some people might be tempted to feed the birds all the time, but in the spring and summer, birds generally have no trouble finding food in the wild. To avoid creating excessive dependence, it is important to use feeders only occasionally during this time of year.
Bird feeders can be valuable and provide an excellent educational tool, but it is important to use them properly. To do so, make sure to offer food that is suitable for the birds you want to attract and keep the feeder clean to protect their health. In fact, when seeds are left outside for too long—especially in the spring humidity—they can mold, ferment, or become unfit for consumption. Birds can then get sick from eating them.
Setting up a bird feeder at home can be a simple activity to do as a family. Some people even go a step further by installing small cameras, allowing them to observe the birds continuously without disturbing them. It is even possible to make your own bird feeder very easily!
To do this, you will need:
Next, assemble the sticks and glue them together to form a small platform. Then, add edges—also made of wooden sticks—to hold the seeds in place. Finally, attach a string to the feeder you have created so you can hang it in a tree or near a window.
This craft activity allows children to easily participate in every step. You will find more visual instructions in this video:
Did you know ?
Bird feeders set up for birdwatching sometimes attract other unexpected visitors! Squirrels are very nimble and do not hesitate to help themselves, too. They can climb, jump, and even hang upside down to reach the seeds!
Rather than seeing this as a problem, it can be a great opportunity to: observe different animals, compare their behaviors, and ask questions such as: Who eats what? How do animals find their food?
Why are squirrels drawn to the feeders?
So, try observing the birds and squirrels with your children. Who comes most often? Who eats the fastest? Who is the quietest? Do they always come at the same time?
As you know, squirrels love to help themselves to food from bird feeders. Here is a video where you will see that some people go to great lengths to stop squirrels from stealing food meant for birds.
You will see that squirrels are capable of developing incredible strategies to get what they want, and they seem to really enjoy the challenges they face. Watching them can be just as fascinating as watching birds!
In early childhood centres, spring transforms the environment and opens the door to new explorations.
At Cœur des tout-petits, the children took the time to explore the ground through touch. As they played with the soil, they noticed that it was clay-like and that they could form balls with it, just like with modeling clay!
At Boréal des tout-petits, the children also explored mud. But here, the texture was different: it would not hold its shape. Rather than getting stuck on this challenge, they found another way to play by using the mud to paint the stones around them. Ingenious!
Today, we had a wonderful outdoor adventure guided by the children is curiosity. We started our walk by emptying the maple sap buckets at the base of our maple trees. The children watched as the sap flowed into the buckets and were very excited to help pour the buckets into the 5-gallon container.
Next, we went behind the school where we discovered some very large puddles. Immediately, the children wanted to explore! They tested the depth with their boots, jumped in gently, and then went all the way into the water! Together, they broke the thin layer of ice on the surface and discovered the sounds, textures, and splashes.
By following the children is lead, we encouraged their natural exploration and learning through play. This experience fostered cooperation, calculated risk-taking, motor development, and scientific discovery. The children learned that spring can be a lot of fun when the snow melts, but that the still-frozen ground creates wonderful puddles for playing and exploring together!
Diane Fortin educator at Sudbury East
The month of March reminds us that nature does not follow a linear rhythm. It surprises us, it changes, and sometimes it resists—and it is precisely in these moments that the lessons are most enriching for everyone.
Through the return of the birds, children become aware that their environment is changing, evolving, and coming alive. These observations, sometimes seemingly simple, are in reality rich in meaning and learning.
Whether by looking up at the sky, listening to a song, or watching a feeder, every moment becomes an opportunity to learn, understand, and connect with the living world.
I hope this newsletter has given you some ideas and that you will put a few of them into practice. Please feel free to share your stories and observations about spring and animals with us.
I look forward to seeing you in the next newsletter.
Mathieu Lambert
CPE Forest Project Coordinator and Outdoor Education Advisor, Carrefour francophone.
FrancoFacts : Findings from research on vocabulary and language in minority-language contexts, presented by Chantal Mayer-Crittenden, speech-language pathologist and professor at Laurentian University
Nos partenaires de projet : PLAYLearnThink, Collège Boréal, Centre éducatif des Premières Nations, Métis et Inuit et la Pavillon Shkode (Cœur du feu);
nos partenaires de recherche : Centre d’innovation sociale pour l’enfant et la famille et notre bailleur de fonds : Emploi et Développement social Canada.
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