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Birds, Fish & Butterflies On the Move - Migration Science for Kids

  • Writer: Amy Wung Tsao
    Amy Wung Tsao
  • Sep 8
  • 5 min read

Updated: Sep 8

Quick links if you’re too busy to scroll:


Migration Science Videos:


Migration Science Books:

Migration Science Activities:


Keep reading to find out how these books, videos, and activities can spark curiosity about the science of migrating animals and insects! 



Migration Science for Kids


“Birds were flying from continent to continent long before we were.” ~ Sir David Attenborough  in The Life of Birds


Photo of twelve spoonbill birds migrating, flying in a V formation across a light-colored sky.


This time of year, kids are already noticing flocks of geese flying in V’s overhead. It’s a great time to get curious about migration science - what insects and animal migrate? Where do they go? And how do they know where they’re going without GPS? 


I’ve found so many great kid-friendly science videos, books, and activities all about the science of migration.  Keep reading to find how to stoke kids’ curiosity even more! 

(Just a reminder - I am never paid to mention any of these resources; there are no affiliate links.)


Migration Science Videos


How do monarch butterflies know where to migrate?  from Mystery Science Follow generations of monarch butterflies as they migrate north in the spring & summer, then south in the fall. But how do monarch butterflies from all over North America find their way to the same forest in Mexico every fall? Turns out we don’t know the complete answer, but monarch butterflies do use the sun position to help them navigate part of the way. I love it when I learn something I didn’t know from a kids science video! (Teachers, Butterflies are a great example of migration. If your kids are begging for more butterfly science, check out my pollinator science post!


Animal Migration: Move It!  from PBS Kids Science Trek Migration for animals is like recess for kids - going to the same places at the same time regularly.  This video is great for giving lots of kid-friendly analogies to explain how migration works!  This video also covers the many reasons animals need to move habitats - whether it’s for food, warmth, or shelter.  (Teachers, that makes it a great support for NGSS K-LS1-1 and 3-LS4-3!)


I Am Salmon from Watershed Stewards Program Get a salmon’s-eye view as it hatches and grows, migrates to the ocean, then back again to lay eggs. All along navigating dangers like hungry birds, bears, pollution, and human fishing boats. In the end, only 3 salmon from the original 2,000 egg nest will successfully make the journey back to spawn.  Seeing it all from a fish’s point of view makes it more real for the kids! (Teachers, this video supports NGSS K-LS1-1 and 3-LS4-3, and Core Idea ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems.)


Migration Science Books


Cover illustration of a yellow and black striped caterpillar walking against a bright yellow background. The title reads “Gotta Go! Gotta Go!”

Gotta Go! Gotta Go! written by Sam Swope, illustrated by Sue Riddle

This little caterpillar doesn’t know why, all she knows is “I gotta go! I gotta go! I gotta go to Mexico!” You can’t help but want to cheer on this sweet little caterpillar as she becomes a monarch butterfly, and flies all the way to a forest in Mexico full of other monarchs. It’s a perfect read aloud for preschoolers to learn a little bit about butterfly migration.



Cover illustration of monarch butterfly up close, resting on purple flowers, with a sunset over the mountains in the background. The title reads “Home is Calling: The Journey of the Monarch Butterfly.”

Home is Calling: The Journey of the Monarch Butterfly written by Katherine Pryor, illustrated by Ellie Peterson

This gorgeously illustrated book brings to life all the obstacles to migration - like storms, and lack of food and shelter due to deforestation. Part of the story features school children who have planted a flower garden along the butterfly’s migration path, giving them the strength to keep going. Perhaps this could inspire some of you to plant a butterfly garden in your backyards and schools! (Check out the backmatter at the end of the book for how to get started.)


With this being a longer picture book, I would save it for elementary school age kids. I love the story balances the ways humans can both help and harm migration butterflies. (Teachers, this also makes the book a great support for K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-3 and 3-LS4-3.)  



Cover illustration of small yellow bird perched on a branch with yellow leaves that are starting to blow away in the wind. The title reads “Is This Panama? A Migration Story.”

Is This Panama? A Migration Story written by Jan Thornhill, illustrated by Soyeon Kim

When Sammy the warbler gets separated from his flock, he must find his way to Panama on his own. Along the way he meets other animals preparing for winter - like hibernating snakes and color changing ptarmigans. He learns to navigate by the stars, but gets confused by the city lights and caught in a storm.  (Teachers, this book is another great support for K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-3 and 3-LS4-3!)  


I love that this book touches on so many different animals, from caribou to garter snakes to dragonflies and humpback whales! It is a longer book as well, meant for elementary age kids.


And did you know I have lots more bird science for kids here?



Cover illustration of a father and daughter holding hands, looking at monarch butterflies flying in the sky above them. The title reads “A Flicker of Hope: A Story of Migration.”

A Flicker of Hope written by Cynthia Harmony, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth

This is a bonus recommendation! While the story doesn’t focus too much on migration science, it is beautiful to read Lucia’s story of waiting for the butterflies to migrate back, because it means her dad and the other migrant farm workers will be migrating back home as well. There are so many beautiful layers here of family, seasons, and waiting, that it works as a read aloud for both young preschoolers and older elementary age children as well!


Migration Science Activities

Diagram of a salmon migration obstacle course, including an ocean area with fishing nets, a migration path with predators, dams, and waterfalls, and a spawning ground at the finish line.

Make a migration obstacle course! DIY version from Science World 

Printable version from Survive the sound

Migrate like salmon through an obstacle course filled with waterfalls, dams, predators, and fishers. 


I love this activity because it gets kids active and moving, and can easily turn into independent pretend play! Plus it’s easy to modify for your circumstances. You could play this indoor with string or jump ropes to outline the migration corridor, and stuffies and furniture as the obstacles.  Or you can play this outside with chalk to draw the migration corridor and obstacles. I can see this working for just one kid or groups of kids as well. I love the idea of migrating multiple times, each time adding a new obstacle for your kids to navigate.If you’re a teacher with a whole classroom of kids, the printable version breaks this activity up into several interactive migration stations for kids to rotate through. (And teachers, this activity is all about interactive relationships in ecosystems, supporting NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, and K-ESS3-3!)



World map with hand-drawn dotted lines showing the migration path of the arctic tern, monarch butterfly, salmon, and wildebeest.

from Teach Beside MeThis activity combines migration science with map reading, which is a great life skill and math skill! In this example, they’re using a laminated world map, but you could easily just draw on a printed out world map, or even free hand draw a world map for this purpose. 


You could also use this same map to show your kids how far they traveled on a field trip or summer vacation, so they can compare that distance to the animal migration journeys they’re learning about!



I hope something here sparked curiosity!


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Keep lighting sparks of curiosity,

Amy Wung Tsao


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