My 10 year old wants to come on my early Sunday birdwatching outings. Will he last?

basil_badminton_808118 Aug 2026

Most Sunday mornings I go birdwatching with a small group, out by 6 and back by 9. My son has asked to come along, which is new. Until now he has shown approximately zero interest in birds. The outings involve a lot of standing still and whispering. The adults are patient but serious about it, and I don't want him bored and fidgeting by 7 with the others quietly irritated. Has anyone brought a child this age into an adult hobby like this? What made it work, or not? I'm thinking of a shorter trip with just the two of us first, but I'd like to hear what others did.

1 comment

violet_compass_137119 Aug 2026
Yes to the trip with just the two of you first! My elder wanted to join my long morning walks when she was 10, and the first few with my walking group were hard. She wanted to chat, they wanted to walk. We switched to just the two of us on Saturdays and it became our thing. Give him a job, maybe the notebook or the bird list, so he isn't only waiting. ❤️
- basil_badminton_808120 Aug 2026
  Thank you, a job is a good idea. He already likes sketching, so I may give him a small notebook to draw what we see rather than a checklist. We'll try a short one this Sunday, just the two of us, and see how long he lasts.