At a Glance
The bald eagle was once nearly extinct - and now it's soaring again! Save the Eagles Day is a wonderful opportunity to help preschool, kindergarten and other young learners discover this incredible conservation story. This post covers eagle facts, cross-curricular learning ideas, low-prep indoor and outdoor activity ideas, book recommendations, a participation certificate and a set of lovely printable eagle activities! Celebrated every year on January 10.
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What Is Save the Eagles Day?
Each year on January 10, people stop and think about how we can protect the majestic eagles that soar our skies. This awareness day grew out of a local campaign in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey in 2015, when residents rallied to protect the nesting pair lovingly known as Alice and Al.
The movement highlights how even iconic birds like eagles still need our help and invites young learners to connect with wildlife in meaningful ways.
Why is Save the Eagles Day Special?
Eagles, in particular the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle, are powerful symbols of freedom, strength and wildness. They face threats like habitat destruction, pollution (especially lead poisoning), and reductions of their food sources.
On National Save the Eagles Day, children and families can learn that even simple actions (like keeping water clean, avoiding chemicals, or looking after tall trees) can make a difference.
It’s a day that blends national pride with environmental stewardship.
Learning Opportunities
National Save the Eagles Day gives us a fantastic window into how eagles live, the challenges they face, and how we can help. It also nurtures curiosity, caring and early scientific thinking through hands-on discovery. Below are a few key areas children can explore:
Nature Awareness & Science
Eagles need wide territories, healthy fish or other prey, tall nest trees, and clean water. You could ask: “Why would an eagle pick a tall tree rather than a low bush for its nest?” And the answer could be that a tall tree offers a good lookout spot, fewer predators and more space for the huge nests that eagles like to build.
When kids examine nests or bird behaviour, they learn about habitats, food webs, animal adaptation, and biodiversity. These observations also lead to some nice descriptive language: “The eagle spread its awesome wings wide before it glided majestically through the sky.” or “It dived below the surface of the raging rapids to catch that fish in its sharp talons”.
Care & Empathy
Talking about what eagles need, ie, safe wetlands, undisturbed nesting areas, clean lakes can helps children understand that our environment affects animals deeply.
Ask: “If we cut down a tall tree where an eagle lives, what happens?” Children might suggest that the eagle loses its shelter or access to prey.
This kind of conversation helps them practise empathy, responsibility, and environmental thinking – leading them to recognize their role in protecting living creatures.
Observation & Data Skills
Watching eagle footage or exploring maps of nest sites becomes a mini science project. Invite your children to count how many eagles they spot, compare nest sizes, or monitor the time of day they fly.
Ask: “Which nest was larger? Why might that be?” These activities develop early data skills (comparing, pattern-spotting), critical thinking, and focus.
Did You Know?
Here are a few fun eagle facts to share with your little learners:
There are over 60 eagle species worldwide, but only two native species in North America (Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle).
The Bald Eagle was removed from the U.S. endangered species list in 2007, but protections remain because many populations still face risks.
Some eagle nests are enormous, up to 10 feet across and used year after year, becoming a family “home base.”
Eagles can spot prey from over a mile away, thanks to vision many times sharper than human eyesight.
Some eagles can reach diving speeds of up to 100 mph.
Save the
Eagles Day Printable Activities
Let’s make Save the Eagles Day even more fun! Here at Nurtured Neurons, you’ll find a flock of eagle-themed printable activities to enjoy.
These colorful, hands-on resources help children explore the world of eagles while practicing early skills like counting, cutting, sticking and pencil control. Whether they’re coloring feathers, completing eagle puzzles, or making awesome eagle crafts, there’s something to keep every little learner chirping happily along!
Click on the images below to get an amazing eagle-themed activity. Or if you want to browse the whole range, you can do so here:
Other Fun Ways to Celebrate
If you’re looking for fresh hands-on ideas to celebrate Save the Eagles Day, here are some fun and easy ones you can try with just common household items or a bit of outdoor time:
Indoor Activities
Eagle Shadow Wings Game
Use a large sheet or wall space and get children to spread their arms to mimic an eagle’s wingspan. Measure child’s wingspan and compare it to an eagle’s (~6-8 feet). This can be a nice practical way to build math and gross-motor skills.
“Flight Path” Story Stones
Paint or draw little stones with trees, lakes, fish and eagle symbols. Place them in a line and ask children to move a toy eagle along, describing its journey and the obstacles it might face.
Healthy Habitat Sorting Tray
Create a tray with printed off pictures of safe eagle habitats (clean water, tall trees, quiet shorelines) and unsafe ones (polluted lake, broken tree, crowded area). Ask: “Which would help the eagle live best?” Sort and discuss.
Outdoor Activities
Eagle Nest Expedition
Visit a local park or nature trail looking for high trees or large nests (even if they’re other birds). Ask children to consider: “Would this make a safe eagle nest? Why or why not?”
Clean-up Walk & Wildlife Reflection
While on a walk, pick up litter near water or trees; talk about how trash or pollution affects drink/food sources for birds like eagles. Connect to caring and ecology.
Create a Chalk Tree
Using chalk outside, draw an outline of a tall tree and draw an eagles nest near the top. They could also draw some small humans next to it for comparison.
Ideas from Around the Web
Here are some curated, child-friendly eagle & bird-of-prey activities from trusted sources:
Paper Plate Eagle Craft – a simple, low-prep art project using paper plates and paint to create a Bald Eagle, perfect for preschoolers. (Blue Eyed Mama)
Popsicle Stick Bald Eagle Craft – a fun craft using popsicle sticks, paint and card. Great for fine-motor work and creativity. (Easy Peasy and Fun)
- How to Draw an Eagle – nice child-friendly video walking them through the steps to draw a cute lil’ eagle. (Art for Kids Hub)
Simple Classroom Display & Group Activity Ideas
Group projects help lock in learning and give children a sense of achievement. Here are activities that work beautifully in classrooms or home-groups:
“Eagle Homes” Wall Display – Ask each child to draw an eagle and its ideal nesting spot. Display them together on a board labelled “Homes of the Eagles.”
Group Poster Mission – Small teams pick a challenge facing eagles (pollution, powerlines, habitat loss) and create a poster titled “How we can help eagles.” Then they can present their ideas.
Flight Path Map Game – On a large map, stretch a string showing an eagle’s possible flight route from nesting to feeding grounds. Ask groups: “What hazards might we cross? How might we help the eagle?”
Role-Play Scenario – Assign roles: eagles, fish, other birds, human helpers. Let children act out a “day in the life” of an eagle starting from hunting to nesting, then pause to ask: “What went well? What challenges did the eagle face? How could the humans help?”
Save the Eagles Day Reading List – Eagle Storybooks to Explore Together
Reading together deepens learning in a calm and engaging way. These titles explore eagles, wildlife and change beautifully:
On Eagle Cove by Jane Yolen – A nonfiction picture book introducing eagle families, habitats and behaviours.
One Eagle Soaring by by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd – A a counting and numbers book for young children with other animals from the west coast.
The Eagles are Back by Jean Craighead George – a gentle STEM story about physics in nature.
The Bald Eagle by Norman Pearl – Join Bill the bird keeper and learn about the eagle’s life and why it’s an important United States symbol.
Discussion Starters
After all the fun and discovery, take a few minutes to talk. These open-ended questions are great for encouraging reflection:
What special job do eagles have in nature?
If you were an eagle, where would you build your nest and why?
What one thing could you do this week to help eagles or another bird species?
Even though eagles are so strong, why do they still need our help?
Save the Eagles Day Certificate of Participation
I’ve made a little certificate you can use to help celebrate your learners’ efforts with a cheerful keepsake! I’ve kept it simple as I know how time consuming writing the dates and signing a class worth or certificates can be…
Click the button below to download and print a Save the Eagles Day Certificate of Participation:
National Save the Eagles Day Final Thoughts
Today is more than just a craft day or bird-watching moment, it’s also a chance to show children that even powerful creatures like eagles still need our care and help sometimes.
Every conversation, every craft, every small action helps to plant the seed of lifelong respect for nature.
I hope you and your little learners enjoy celebrating! We’d love to hear what activities you tried or any other creative ideas you came up with. Please share them in the comments below!
Enjoy!
And if you want to see what other special days are coming up soon – as well as grab a few choice activities – you can check out our Special Day Calendar here.
