Bird Games for Kids

'Bird-opoly'

• Late For the Sky's "Bird-opoly," recommended for ages 8 and up, takes its cue from the classic "Monopoly" board game. Like "Monopoly," players try to win the game by collecting the most property, buying and trading birdhouses and big trees, among other feathered-friend dwellings. Players move around the board with pawn pieces such as a pair of binoculars, a birdbath or a hummingbird, and learn about various bird species and types via the game's Bird Deed cards.

'Bird Brains'

• Players try to keep a crow from falling off the roof of a moving vehicle in "Bird Brains," accessible at the National Wildlife Federation website. As a Snack Wagon shoots junk food out its back door, players score points by eating it, along with bugs. Players press the "Left" and "Right" arrow keys to move in those respective directions, the "Up" key to jump, the "Down" key to duck angry mockingbirds and the space bar to flap/fly. Should the crow tumble off the roof, the game ends.

'Bird Pirates'

• Captain Sparrow and his flock of pirates need players' help reaching their rightful home in Intenium's "Bird Pirates," available as a free Windows trial download at the Big Fish Games site. Players must create matches of three or more same-color birds to remove them from the rope on deck; by doing so, players keep birds from reaching the end of the rope and, in turn, dropping a bomb on the ship. Using the mouse to aim the cannon, players left click to launch a bird from their gun. Players score points based on the chain of birds they remove from the rope, and earn extra points for collecting falling bonuses and treasures.

'Birds on a Wire'

• Players arrange birds into sets on power lines in an effort to score the best combinations in Gryphon Games' "Birds on a Wire," recommended for ages 7 and up. On their own power line cards, players arrange birds into sets of three, trying to match the same color or shape, or all different colors or shapes. Along the way, players may zap opponents' rows of power lines, which leaves opponents' birds seeking new perches. If a player fills all 12 spots on their card, the game ends. The player with the most points from sets of birds and zapped birds wins the game.

'Feed the Birdie'

• Eating as many treats as possible keeps a bird's thirst tolerance high in "Feed the Birdie," accessible at the Bird Channel site. Using the directional arrow keys to move in those respective directions, players score points for each treat they catch. Players encounter the following items during game play: apples, which boost players' scores; avocados, which reduces players' scores; saltine crackers and sunflower seeds, which temporarily slow down and fatten the bird; toys and broccoli, which temporarily increase treats' points value; and water, which increases the bird's thirst tolerance by 25 percent. "Slow" or "Fast" temporarily slow down or increases the speed of falling food/items, respectively, while "Super Size" temporarily increases the bird's size. "Mystery" items become random items upon the bird touching them. For each missed treat, players' thirst tolerance declines. When the bird's thirst tolerance indicator bar depletes, the game ends.