Housing birds in the back yard is a favorite activity for literally millions of people these days. Of course the easy way to do this is to simply buy a birdhouse, but there are many rewards for building your own birdhouse. For one, there is the satisfaction of having put together your own house, and if you plan to give it as a gift it has a much more personal touch when you've invested your own time and effort into the gift. And by doing so, you can craft a totally unique design for the ultimate personal touch.

One of the most popular activities using birdhouse kits is to build a simple birdhouse with your kids. The idea is so popular that many kits can be found in the toy section of many retailers.

Kids love the idea of building things, and there are a variety of birdhouse kits that are designed to be built either with or by kids doing it alone. Many include all the materials you might need, some even include the nails.

The designs range all over. Simple cottages, traditional chickadee houses, and log cabin designs are just a few that you will find. There are also some that are marketed with famous name signatures, such as the Tim Allen series. Melissa and Doug is another example.

Don't be afraid to try using a more barebones birdhouse kit, and embarking on the adventure of painting the final birdhouse with your child. The amount of paint will be small, so you don't need to fear a huge mess when the job is done, and if you use small disposable brushes and containers of paint, a lot of the cleanup is simplified by simply throwing the rest away, and with latex paints the cleanup is simply soap and water.

If your youngster is too young for a real birdhouse, there are foam models that will interest the smaller hands and minds.

If the idea of using a birdhouse kit is attractive, but you can't find a design that you think is attractive, you may want to consider building using a set of birdhouse plans instead.

There is much more variety in the type of birdhouses that can be built from the plans you can find. The easiest way to find a set of plans is to buy one of the many books available. Most of these books contain several plans, anywhere from 7 to 50 plans in a book.

One advantage of these books is that you can find one tailored to the skill level you think you have. There are some that tout designs that can be built in a day, or a weekend. Others have much more ornate and complex designs than you might possibly see in a typical kit design.

Another advantage to these books is that some present a selection of different houses that are designed to attract different bird species. If you are looking to attract a specific type of bird then this is a worthwhile investment, as not all birds will roost in a birdhouse, some tend to only roost in a nesting area. Be sure the birds you want to attract will find your woodworking masterpiece worthy of their attention.

Building a birdhouse from either a kit or a set of plans is a gratifying experience, and will be a visible reminder of you efforts for years to come in your backyard.