Funny Things Kids Say About Nature

Anitta Staats

Our 4-year-old granddaughter was visiting on Mother’s Day. We were watching the birds from our big picture window and a beautiful oriole landed on the feeder. She said, “Oh, look, Grandma. A Halloween bird!” Janice Seebecker

While gardening with my grandchildren one morning, the 4-year-old excitedly announced that he had found a worm. His sister informed him that it is food for the robins. He was happy with this until someone announced that the worm’s mother was probably looking for it. In utter conflict, he though a moment, then turned around and tossed the worm over his shoulder and said, “Let them figure it out.’ Dolores Eisenbraun

My husband spotted a pigeon while out with my 2-year-old daughter and pointed it out to her. “Do you see that pigeon? It’s a kind of bird,” he said. A few days later she saw another pigeon and proclaimed, “Daddy, there’s a kindabird.” Krista Frank

Courtesy Isabel Fernald

My grandson, Daniel (3 at the time), and I were watching a nature program about birds on television. A female mallard and her babies came on the screen. At that moment, Daniel yelled, “Look, Gramma, duck puppies!” He’s 21 now, but we still call ducklings “duck puppies.” Debbie Hayes

One night when my son Patrick was 2 years old, he looked up at a half moon and said, “Moon broken.” The next time there was a full moon in the sky, he looked up and said, “Moon fixed now.” Lynne Sheeks

When my youngest son, Jacob, was 4, we lived on a country road in Georgia beside acres of puffy white cotton fields. On our way home one day, he pointed excitedly and said, “Mommy, look at all the marshmallows!” Cathy Hardin

Courtesy Steven Osborne

For decades, we’ve been feeding raisins to the robins who visit our backyard. The same robin families return to us year after year, and I often assign them names based on their appearance or behavior. My niece (5 at the time) was visiting one day when Chester and Miss Hairdo appeared in the yard. I started telling her about their behaviors and instead of being impressed at my expertise in bird behavior, she looked at me with wide eye and said, “How do you know their names?” Kathy Showen

My granddaughters Jacklyn, 4, and Brittany, 2, were spending a week with their grandpa and me. One day I walked around the yard showing them the plants. “Your grandpa planted this tree when it was just a small twig,” I told them. “Now it’s an orange tree.” Jacklyn turned to me and said, “No, Grandma, it’s a green tree!” Donna McGuire Tanner

One fall day my daughter, Mia, and her boys were walking in the garden so she could show them the autumn harvest. Making sure they looked where they were stepping, she said, “Watch out for the butternut squash.” My 4-year-old grandson, Sawyer, asked, “Better not squash what?” Barbara Garfield

BONUS: Adults say funny things, too…

Courtesy Stuart Fiedler

Recently my mom and I were taking a walk near our neighborhood. While I was busy setting up my camera, Mom suddenly grabbed my arm and whispered urgently, “What IS that bird? It’s brown with a red head and it’s the size of a hawk!” Thinking she might be seeing a large woodpecker or young red-tailed hawk, I took the binoculars and after some effort, located the mystery bird. I began laughing. “Mom, that’s a house finch!” She said, “Well, the binoculars did something to magnify him!” Alissa Pendorf