The History of Scarecrows

For thousands of years, humans have grown their own food on farms. But long ago, farmers had a problem. Birds loved to eat the growing crops, like wheat and vegetables. Farmers needed to keep the birds away.

Some people stood in their fields and waited for birds to come. Then they chased the birds away from the crops. Some farmers put wooden statues in their fields. The birds thought they were people! The statues kept birds away.

About 500 years ago, farmers tried something new. They stuffed straw into pants and shirts. Sometimes they put a gourd on top, like a pumpkin or squash. The stuffed clothes looked like people! They were easy to make.

Farmers put them in their fields. It worked! They scared away crows and other birds. People called them scarecrows, for the words “scare” and “crow.”

Farmers now have better ways to scare birds away. Some use machines that make loud noises. Farmers don’t use scarecrows as much as they used to.

Today scarecrows are a symbol of fall. They make people think of autumn. People use them as decoration. They are even in movies like The Wizard of Oz and Wicked. Keep your eyes out for friendly scarecrows this fall!