activities for preschoolers on zoo

29 Fun Zoo Animals Activities for Preschoolers

Visiting a zoo is undoubtedly an exciting experience for young children, but why limit the fun to a one-time trip?

We will delve into Zoo Animals Activities for Preschoolers.

Not only do these activities capture their attention and fuel their imagination, but they also provide an opportunity for early education and environmental awareness.

Animal Scavenger Hunt:

Get ready for an adventurous scavenger hunt that takes preschoolers on a thrilling journey through the animal kingdom! Create a list of animal clues or pictures and hide them around the designated area. Armed with their detective skills, the little ones can search high and low to find hidden treasures. As they discover each animal, encourage them to share fascinating facts or mimic their sounds. This activity not only promotes critical thinking and problem-solving but also introduces children to a variety of zoo animals in an engaging and interactive way.

Zoo Animal Charades:

Unleash the laughter and excitement with a game of zoo animal charades! Write down different zoo animal names on small pieces of paper and place them in a jar. Each child takes turns picking a piece of paper and without speaking, acts out the animal for others to guess. Encourage the use of body movements, sounds, and gestures to imitate the chosen animal. This activity not only boosts creativity and communication skills but also enhances their knowledge of various animals and their behaviors.

Related: 20 Easy Stem Activities for Preschoolers

Animal Habitat Diorama:

Let preschoolers dive into the world of habitats by creating their own mini-animal dioramas. Provide small boxes, colored paper, craft materials, and toy animals. Encourage children to choose an animal and design its natural habitat inside the box. They can use grass, leaves, rocks, and other materials to recreate the environment. As they work on their dioramas, discuss the characteristics of each habitat and the unique adaptations of the animals living there. This activity fosters imaginative play, fine motor skills, and environmental awareness.

Animal Memory Game:

Challenge preschoolers’ memory skills with an entertaining animal-themed memory game. Create a set of animal picture cards by printing out images or drawing them on index cards. Shuffle the cards and place them face-down in a grid. Children take turns flipping two cards, aiming to find a matching pair. To make it more educational, encourage them to name the animal and share a fun fact about it when they find a match. This game enhances cognitive abilities, concentration, and memory recall while familiarizing children with a variety of zoo animals.

Related: 100 Fun Summer Camp Jokes & One Liners

Animal Sounds Orchestra:

Let the preschoolers become part of a vibrant animal sounds orchestra! Assign each child an animal and have them practice mimicking its distinct sound. Gather the group together and create a musical performance where each child takes turns making their animal sound. Encourage them to listen carefully and join in with their own animal sounds when they hear their assigned animal. This activity promotes listening skills, coordination, and the joy of music while deepening their understanding of different zoo animals and their vocalizations.

Animal Bingo:

Introduce preschoolers to the concept of Bingo while exploring zoo animals. Create Bingo cards with pictures of different animals and distribute them to the children. Call out the names of the animals randomly, and the children mark their cards accordingly. This activity helps develop visual recognition, concentration, and listening skills while familiarizing them with a wide range of zoo animals.

Animal Name Tracing:

Combine literacy and fine motor skills by incorporating animal name tracing. Choose a few zoo animals and write their names on large pieces of paper. Provide markers or crayons and encourage the children to trace the letters of each animal’s name. As they trace, discuss the animal’s characteristics, habitat, or any other interesting facts. This activity promotes letter recognition, hand-eye coordination, and early writing skills.

Zoo Animal Guessing Game:

Stimulate critical thinking and deductive reasoning with a zoo animal guessing game. Select a zoo animal without revealing its identity and give preschoolers clues about the animal’s features, habitat, or diet. Encourage them to make guesses based on the clues provided. Gradually give additional hints until they can identify the animal. This activity encourages logical reasoning, and problem-solving, and expands their knowledge of different zoo animals.

Animal Themed Storytime:

Create a cozy storytelling corner and immerse preschoolers in a world of animal-themed stories. Choose books that feature zoo animals as main characters or books that teach about animal habitats and behaviors. As you read aloud, encourage the children to make animal sounds, identify the animals in the illustrations, or discuss the story’s morals or lessons. This activity enhances listening skills, and language development, and fosters a love for reading.

Animal Painting:

Let their creativity soar with a zoo animal painting activity. Provide various art materials like paints, brushes, and paper, along with pictures or cutouts of different zoo animals. Encourage the children to choose an animal and paint their interpretation of it. They can experiment with colors, patterns, and textures to bring their animals to life. Display their artwork to celebrate their artistic expressions and individuality. This activity stimulates fine motor skills, self-expression, and appreciation for art.

Animal Habitats Sensory Play:

Create sensory bins or trays representing different animal habitats. Fill them with materials like sand, water, grass, rocks, or leaves. Add toy animals that correspond to each habitat. Encourage the children to explore and play with the sensory materials, engaging their senses of touch, sight, and imagination. This activity promotes sensory development, vocabulary building, and understanding of animal habitats.

Animal Movement Game:

Get preschoolers moving and grooving with an animal movement game. Assign each child a different animal and demonstrate its characteristic movements, such as hopping like a kangaroo, crawling like a turtle, or slithering like a snake. Then, call out the names of the animals and have the children mimic their movements. This activity promotes physical activity, coordination, and creativity while teaching children about different animal movements.

Animal Counting Game:

Combine math skills with zoo animals in a counting game. Set up a pretend zoo with stuffed animals or pictures. Provide number cards or dice, and encourage the children to count and identify the number of animals in each enclosure. They can also practice simple addition or subtraction by adding or removing animals from the zoo. This activity develops counting skills, number recognition, and basic math concepts.

Animal Camouflage Hunt:

Teach preschoolers about animal adaptations through a camouflage hunt. Choose a few animals known for their camouflage abilities, such as a chameleon or a snow leopard. Show pictures or plush toys of these animals and discuss how they blend into their environments. Then, hide the animals in a designated area and challenge the children to find them. This activity promotes observation skills, critical thinking, and understanding of animal survival strategies.

Animal Feeders Craft:

Engage preschoolers in a craft activity where they create animal feeders using recycled materials. Provide empty plastic bottles or cartons, popsicle sticks, and colored paper. Assist the children in decorating the bottles to resemble different animals. Then, they can fill the feeders with birdseed or pretend food and hang them outside for birds or imaginary animals to “feed.” This activity encourages creativity, fine motor skills, and environmental awareness.

Animal Alphabet Match:

Combine literacy and animal recognition in a fun alphabet-matching game. Create animal flashcards with uppercase letters and corresponding animal pictures. Scatter the cards around the play area, and encourage the children to find and match the uppercase letter with the animal picture. As they make matches, ask them to name the animal and the corresponding letter sound. This activity promotes letter recognition, phonics skills, and animal identification.

Animal Camouflage Art:

Inspire creativity with an animal camouflage art project. Provide blank paper, paint, and various textured materials like sponges, leaves, and fabric scraps. Show the children pictures of animals with camouflage abilities, such as a tiger or an octopus. Encourage them to create their own artwork by painting and stamping patterns and textures that resemble the camouflage of these animals. This activity fosters artistic expression, fine motor skills, and understanding of animal adaptations.

Zoo Animal Role Play:

Encourage imaginative play by setting up a zoo animal role-play area. Provide costumes, masks, and props that represent different zoo animals. Let the children take turns pretending to be the animals, making their sounds, and acting out their behaviors. They can create animal enclosures, feed their pretend animals, and engage in zookeeper roles. This activity promotes social skills, creativity, and empathy towards animals.

Animal Matching Memory Game:

Enhance memory and concentration skills with an animal-matching memory game. Create pairs of animal picture cards and place them face-down in a grid. Children take turns flipping two cards to find a matching pair. When a pair is found, ask the child to imitate the animal’s sound or share a fact about it. This activity strengthens memory recall, visual recognition, and knowledge of zoo animals.

Animal Habitat Art Collage:

Spark creativity and appreciation for animal habitats with an art collage activity. Provide a variety of art materials like magazines, colored paper, glue, and scissors. Encourage the children to cut out pictures or draw animals and their habitats. They can create collages by arranging and gluing the images onto a larger piece of paper. As they work, discuss the different elements of each habitat and the animals that reside there. This activity promotes artistic expression, fine motor skills, and understanding of animal environments.

Recommended:

• 25 Pattern Block Activities for Preschool
• 25 Excellent Outdoor Games for 4 – 5 Year Olds
• 25 Fun Gym Activities for Preschoolers

Zohra Waqas

Zohra Waqas is a renowned Ed Tech Specialist known for innovative contributions at the intersection of education and technology. With a background in computer science and a BSc in Ed Tech from IOBM , she has 5+ years of experience in teaching and developing engaging online educational tools, preparing children for the digital age.

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37 Amazing Zoo Animal Activities

• Kindergartner
• Preschooler

Inside: 37 Amazing Zoo Animal Activities for toddlers and preschoolers! From fun sensory activities to adorable crafts to easy boredom busting activities and ideas to get them moving. If you are looking for a way to keep the kids entertained tomorrow these zoo themed activities will fit the bill!

To help you find what you think your toddler or preschooler will love the best, this amazing round of fun and easy zoo activities is broken down into 5 sections.

• Sensory Zoo Activities

Learning Zoo Activities

• Arts & Craft Zoo Activities
• Bordem Busting Zoo Activities

Gross Motor Zoo Activities

Scroll down to find easy ideas to keep your kids busy and learning today!

Can’t visit the zoo at this time? Then check out these amazing virtual zoo trips and zoo animal webcams!

• San Diego Zoo Tour – California, US
• Smithsonian National Zoo – Washington, US
• Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Review – Australia
• Houston Zoo – Texas, US

Sensory Zoo Ideas

Muddy Zoo Sensory Bin a fun sensory activity using mud (Happy Toddler Playtime)

Easy Zebra Slime (Fun-A-Day)

Build a Zoo Sensory Bin (Mrs Plemon’s Kindergarten)

Zoo Small World Play (Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds)

Zoo Mini Sensory Bottle (The Chaos and The Clutter)

Animals of Africa Sensory Bin (All For the Boys)

Zoo Sensory Bin Idea: Exploring Animal Textures (The Moments At Home)

Mini Zoo Theme Rice Sensory Bin (3 Dinosaurs)

Feed the Animals Sensory Bin (Little Ones Learn)

Zoo Playdough Search and Find (Little Bins for Little Hands)

Wash the Zoo Animals (Where Imagination Grows)

Alphabet Zoo Sensory Bin (Happy Toddler Playtime)

Letter Z is for Zoo Toddler Learning Activities (School Time Snippets)

Zoo Animal Counting Activity for Preschoolers (The Educators Spin on It)

Back to the Zoo: Counting Activity for Preschoolers (Happy Toddler Playtime)

Who Lives in the Zoo Sorting Activity (A Little Pinch of Perfect)

Zoo Animal Size Sorting. (Little Ones Learn)

Arts & Crafts Zoo Activities

10 Quick Zoo Animals Crafts for Preschoolers (The Keeper of Memories)

Cardboard tube giraffe (The Craft Train)

Letter Z Zebra Craft (School Time Snippets)

Monkey Masks Craft (Messy Little Monsters)

This Jungle Thumbprint Animal Art is So Much Fun for Kids–It’s a Whole New Art Form! (Ruffles and Rainbows)

Feed the Lion Number Game (Rainy Day Mum)

Cardboard Tube Hippo Craft – Messy Little Monsters

Lion craft spoon puppet (The Craft Train)

Easy To Make: Paper Plate Lion (3 Dinosaurs)

Handprint Tiger Craft For Kids (Simple Everyday Mom)

Animal Popsicle Puppets: A Fun and Educational Preschool Activity (Lorney and Lennox)

Boredom Busting Zoo Activities

Continents of The World Animal Play (Happy Toddler Playtime)

Rescue the Zoo Animals (Happy Toddler Playtime)

Designing a Zoo with Kids! (Pink Stripey Socks)

Animal Tape Rescue Activity (Busy Toddler)

Build Your Own Zoo (Pretend Play Activity)

Zoo Elephant Clean Up Activity (Mrs Plemon’s Kindergarten)

Zoo Animal Laundry Basket Rescue (Simply Learning Kids)

Backyard Safari (No Time For Flashcards)

Animal Parade (Busy Toddler)

5 African Safari Animals Yoga Poses for Kids (Kids Yoga Stories)

Zoo Animal Movement Cards (Elemnop Kids)

Elephant Stomp Gross Motor Activity (Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dogs Tails)

(This post and list contains affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I may earn a commission. Please visit my disclosure policy for more information.)

• Large Safari Zoo Animals Figures Toy

Pre-order your copy of my new book of sensory bins: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids: 60 Easy Creative Play Projects that Boost Brain Development, Calm Anxiety and Build Fine Motor Skills coming out October 27, 2020!

WILL YOU TRY ANY OF THESE ZOO ANIMAL ACTIVITIES WITH YOUR TODDLER OR PRESCHOOLER? Pin it for later!

Filed Under:

• Fine Motor Skills
• Gross Motor Skills
• Sensory Bins, Bottles and Bags

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Fun with Mama

Toddler and preschool activities

Written by Nadia T • Feb 10, 2024 • 2 Comments

Zoo Animal Activities For Preschoolers + Kindergarteners

Kids love visiting the zoo, seeing all the animals, and watching them being fed. Our boys have loved having the opportunity to feed some unique animals, like dolphins. These Zoo animal activities for preschoolers encourage children to learn more about the animals they see at the zoo. There are zoo activities for toddlers as well as zoo theme preschool activities too.

The more difficult zoo animal worksheets can be used with kindergarten and first-grade students. Make certain to also check out our  Zoo Bingo Game For Kids , too! It’s another great way to work in a fun zoo learning theme!

Zoo Animal Activities

In this zoo theme, preschool lesson plans, and printable activities pack you will find over 80 pages of fun toddler activities, preschool activities, and educational activities for kids. They will love learning alongside an elephant, a giraffe, a gorilla, and a leopard.

We also like using these  Zoo Animals Life Cycle Printables  as well in our learning lessons!

Materials Required:

Please note that affiliate links are used in this post.

Here are some items that pair well with these activities. You will use each of these items over and over during all my printable preschool activity packs.

• Do a Dot Art Markers 
• Card stock (to print everything out on.)
• A pocket chart (I have this one and  this mini one too .)
• Write and wipe Dry Erase Pockets
• Laminator with pockets  (If you want to make it reusable.)
• Clothespins  (for the clip cards)

Zoo Activities For Preschoolers

This massive printable pack comes in two versions: One is in color and the other is in black and white for those who have limited ink for their printers. The links for you to get them are at the end of this post.

Included in this massive printable pack you will find a printable storybook that can be printed out and stapled together. Children will love to learn to read the story themselves. They can also use this in conjunction with the printable puppets included. In this book, they will learn the names of some of the animals they would see at a zoo. They will also practice their letter formation and learn to spell the animal names while tracing them.

There is an ‘At the Zoo’ page. This page can be printed out multiple times and bound or stapled into a book. Each page can be used for each animal they see at the zoo. If they are not visiting the zoo, they can research different animals they would find at a zoo and complete the activity using what they find.

Activities on this page include:

• Drawing a picture of the animal
• Circling the correct answer – It is a vertebrate, reptile, mammal, marsupial, invertebrate, amphibian, bird, or fish.
• Tick if this animal is a herbivore, carnivore or omnivore
• Tick how the animal moves
• Color in on the map where the animal lives
• And write some interesting facts they have found out about the animal

There are also many zoo animal games, math activities that work on counting and literacy activities that work on letter recognition, letter formation, and spelling.

You may also like these Zoo Animal Clip Cards,   Tiger play dough and build your own zoo activity set.

GET THE ACTIVITY PACK HERE

Get the zoo animals activity pack here.

EXTEND THE ACTIVITY WITH A DEEPER ANIMAL STUDY

Get the zoo animals life cycle + animal study here.

You can also find a lot of zoo crafts in my printable alphabet letter crafts bundle. Zoo animals in the craft include a zebra, llama, and lion.

Nadia is a mom of 4, with a passion for making childhood education fun through play. She encourages parents to spend quality time with their kids through fun kids activities and enjoys art, traveling, and doing activities with her children.

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Get easy and instant access to ALL of our printable activities and resources by joining the Fun With Mama printables club.

Get all the details and join here.

Reader Interactions

January 19, 2020 at 2:24 pm

Thank you so so much!

This is awesome!

Much love from the Brilliant Bumble Bees

November 6, 2021 at 2:49 pm

Thanks for this article, these activities are sure to be a fun little family activities to do after I take my kids to an animal park. I’ve been planning on taking them to one as they’ve been really curious about animals and how weird and varied they can get. This will definitely be a nice way for them to review what they’ve learned and collect their thoughts.

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How to Plan Zoo Activities for Preschoolers

Table of Contents

Introduction

Have you ever thought about bringing the zoo to your classroom?

If you haven’t, I can tell you from experience that zoo activities for preschoolers are an amazing opportunity to engage and inspire kids.

Setting up a zoo-themed classroom and including animal-related activities can produce a vibrant learning space that will attract the attention of your preschoolers and improve their educational experience.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the many benefits of zoo activities for preschoolers. I’ll also provide you with practical tips and engaging activities to create a fun and educational animal-themed learning experience.

So, if you’re ready to inspire your young learners to explore and discover the wonders of the animal kingdom, join me on this exciting journey as we discover the endless possibilities of a zoo-themed classroom!

Why Bringing the Zoo to the Classroom is Such a Great Idea

One of the greatest advantages of bringing the zoo to the classroom is that it creates a hands-on learning experience that goes far beyond what a textbook can offer.

The children will be excited to engage in the different zoo animal activities you have planned for them, making your classroom a more interesting and enjoyable place to be.

Moreover, incorporating a zoo-themed classroom environment can help stimulate children’s imagination and encourage creativity.

You’ll also get an opportunity to inspire your young learners, create a fun and exciting learning environment, and develop important skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

The Beauty of Learning About Animals at a Young Age

‌Young children are naturally curious and eager to explore the world around them, so learning about different zoo animals early can be a truly beautiful and rewarding experience for them.

Zoo activities for preschoolers can ignite children’s curiosity and inspire a love for learning that will last a lifetime.

Additionally, not only is learning about zoo animals fascinating and so much fun for children, but it also helps preschoolers develop critical skills such as observation, critical thinking, problem-solving, empathy, and compassion.

Zoo theme and other zoo activities for preschoolers can also teach kids about the natural world and how it works.

Setting Up Your Zoo Classroom

Setting up your classroom with a zoo theme is a wonderful and fun project that can spark your kids’ imagination and curiosity.

With a few simple tips, you can transform your classroom into a local zoo filled with amazing animals, taking your pupils into an entirely different learning environment.

To set up your zoo classroom, first, think about the layout of your classroom.

You want to create a space that is inviting and engaging, with plenty of opportunities for exploration.

Think about dividing the space into sections for various activities, such as a reading nook with books on zoo animals, a scientific station for zoo animals’ experiments and observations, and an art station for zoo animal crafts and creative expression.

Next, consider what furnishings, images, contests, and fun zoo-themed activities can assist in creating an immersive experience.

Think about hanging zoo animal printables or murals, using natural elements like plants or pebbles to provide a sensory experience, or using plush zoo animals or zoo animal toys for hands-on learning.

Although setting up your zoo classroom might take a little more work, the benefits are unlimited.

Tips for Creating a Zoo Themed Classroom Environment

Here are some tips I find very helpful when creating a zoo theme classroom environment: 

Decorate your classroom with animal-themed decorations such as zoo crafts, zoo posters and pictures, and figurines to create a vibrant atmosphere.

You can also add a touch of greenery by incorporating live plants that are safe for children. 

Make sure to have plenty of books and resources on animals and the zoo, including zoo printables, non-fiction books, picture books, and storybooks.

These resources can keep kids busy and provide them with a wealth of knowledge about the amazing animals in the zoo and their natural environments. 

Create learning centers with zoo animal-related activities.

For instance, a zoo science center could feature animal habitats, while a zoo writing center could have animal-themed writing prompts.

Use zoo theme rewards and incentives to keep your preschoolers motivated .

For example, you could have a “zoo keeper of the week” award or reward them with zoo animal stickers or pencils, zoo animal masks, zoo animal puzzles, or small toy zoo animals. 

Engage your preschoolers in practical zoo activities that let them investigate ideas about zoo animals.

For instance, to promote exploration and sensory development, you may make a sensory bin containing animal figurines, sand, or water.

While your kids are carrying out their engaging zoo activities, make sure they are safe and properly supervised, especially if you intend to bring live animals into the classroom.

There must be enough adults there to watch over the kids and make sure they are obeying rules because younger kids need more supervision than older kids do.

Zoo-Themed Art Activities

‌Zoo-Themed Art Activities are an amazing way to engage preschoolers while teaching them about animals and the zoo.

The following 5 art activity ideas are exciting and easy to set up. They will captivate your little ones and provide hours of fun and learning!  

1. Animal Masks

Get your little ones to unleash their inner potential by making zoo animal masks!

Create cute masks of their favorite animals from colored or white construction paper and let them customize them with paint, crayons, and other art supplies.

This interactive craft is also great for developing your kids’ fine motor skills .

2. Handprint Animals

Have your preschoolers dip their hands in children-friendly craft paint and make animal handprints. 

You can use a variety of colors to create different animals like lions, monkeys, and elephants.

Once dry, add details like eyes, whiskers, or spots to bring their favorite zoo animal to life.

3. Paper Plate Animals

Using paper plates, your little ones can create their own zoo animals!

Have them paint the plates with different colors and patterns, and then add details like ears, snouts, and tails using construction paper.

They can even add googly eyes or feathers to make their zoo animals more unique.

Learn how to create these beautiful paper plate animals from First Palette .

4. Clay Animals

You can create miniature zoo animal figurines with modeling clay. Your preschoolers can craft their favorite animals or other animals, ranging from big elephants to small mice!

Once they’re finished, ask them to add special touches to their clay animals by painting them with acrylic paint

5. Animal Collage

Cut out images of different animals from old magazines or newspapers, then let your kids assemble a collage with a zoo theme using those images, glue sticks, and cardboard.

They can include extras like trees, grass, or rocks to improve the depiction of a zoo unit even more.

This zoo theme exercise is a fantastic way to help kids learn about zoo animals and their habitats.

Your kids will not only find these adorable crafts enjoyable but also educational.

Animal Science Experiments

While the previous section focused on zoo crafts, this section will provide simple zoo science experiments.

Science projects can help preschoolers discover a variety of scientific concepts in a fun and engaging way.

Simple Science Experiments You Can Do with a Zoo Theme:

Animal Habitat

Take a few bowls, add some water, sand, and grass, and then take a few animal figurines. Are your preschoolers able to connect the animals with their appropriate homes?

It’s a fantastic approach to get children thinking and learning about different animal habitats!

Go outside and let your preschoolers explore the natural world around them by searching for insects. Have them observe and describe the characteristics of each bug they find.

Animal Features

Provide your preschoolers with models of various animals and encourage their investigations by posing questions such as:

How many toes are there?

What does the skin look like? Is it bumpy? Scaly? Smooth?  

When the animal walks, what parts of its body touch the ground?

Does the animal have nails? Hooves? Claws?

Does the animal have ears? Eyes? Tail? Nose?

Is the animal a wild animal or a domestic animal?

Zoo-Themed Story Time

Reading and storytelling activities that focus on animals and the zoo.

Reading and storytelling are fascinating ways to capture children’s attention and send them on exciting adventures through pages filled with animal tales and zoo wonders.

Your preschoolers will develop important skills such as imagination, language development, and cognitive thinking.

There is a treasure trove of captivating books that will transport you and your preschoolers into the magical world of animals and the zoo.

I have put together a collection that will leave you and your preschoolers wanting more below.

This classic children’s book tells the story of a child who writes to the zoo asking for a pet. The zoo sends various animals, but none of them are quite right.

Your preschoolers can increase the fun by predicting which zoo animal will be presented next.

Giraffes Can’t Dance

A giraffe named Gerald wants to dance but believes he can’t due to his long legs and neck. With the help of a wise cricket, he learns that he just needs to find his own rhythm.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

In this book, children can learn about the different animal sounds, including polar bear, lion, and peacock. The rhythmic text makes it a fun read-aloud.

 Zoo Animals

Goodnight Gorilla

This charming story is about a mischievous gorilla who steals the key to the zoo from the zoo keeper and lets all the animals out of their cages.

This special book explores the zoo and the incredible animals that live there. Each page will show us different zoo animals, and tell us their names, where they live and what makes them unique.

Quiz your preschoolers by asking them to identify the animals on each page.

With the help of these interesting zoo-themed storytime ideas, kids can learn about animals, empathy, and crucial life lessons in a cool and engaging way.

Zoo Animal Movement and Exercise

Fun physical activities that help children learn about how animals move.

‌Learning about animals doesn’t have to be limited to science lessons and books.

Young children can learn about the natural world by incorporating animal themes into physical exercises.

This way, they can learn about animal habits, habitats, and adaptations in a dynamic and engaging way. Plus, they will also help strengthen their fine motor skills .

Here are some suggestions for integrating learning concepts into animal-themed movement activities:

1. Animal Charades

Have children act out different animal movements and behaviors while their classmates try to guess which zoo animal they are imitating.

Kids can use this zoo dramatic play to learn about animal names and the various ways that animals move and act.

2. Habitat Scavenger Hunt

Hide pictures of different animal habitats in or near the playground or classroom.

Hide plastic zoo animals in another part of the classroom or playground.

Have the children match the pictures of the habitats where animals live and the plastic zoo animals.

This activity helps kids learn about the various habitats that zoo animals dwell in, as well as the adaptations those animals have made to live there.

3. Animal Yoga

Use animal-themed yoga poses to teach children about different animal movements and behaviors.

For example, the “cat-cow” pose can teach kids about how cats stretch their backs, and the “downward dog” can teach them about how dogs stretch their legs.

4. Animal Relay Race

Set up an obstacle course with various zoo animal motions such as kangaroo jumping, crocodile crawling, or snake slithering.

Divide children into teams and have them race through the course. This activity can help them learn about different zoo animal movements and adaptations.

5. Storytelling Circle

Gather children in a circle and have them take turns telling a story about their favorite zoo animal. Each child can add a sentence or two to the story, creating a fun and collaborative storytelling experience.

Well, that’s a wrap! I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about all the fun and interesting ways to teach young children about the amazing animals at the zoo.

By using different approaches–from sensory art projects to science experiments and reading/storytelling activities, you will never run out of opportunities to make learning about animals exciting and memorable for preschoolers.

Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, I hope you’ll feel inspired to try out some of these zoo activities with the little ones in your life.

Go out there and inspire a love of animals and nature in the next generation!

I’ll be here waiting to read how your zoo activities for preschoolers went.

Join over 120,000 educators for tips & tricks in the Facebook group .

Zoo Centers and Activities (Freebies too)

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Zoo is one of my students’ favorite themes of the year. It’s a fun and engaging theme for students and teachers alike. Animals fascinate children, and this theme builds upon the interest that already exists. Be sure to grab the Desert Art Freebie and Zoo Pattern Blocks Freebie later in the post, too! It makes the cutest bulletin board, and it’s a great scissor skills activity, too!

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Zoo Centers for Sensory

The zoo theme usually lasts about four weeks in my classroom.  Each week, we focus on a different habitat: week one is the rainforest, week two is the savannah, week three is the desert, and week four is the Arctic.  Sometimes, we do a fifth week all about the ocean if students are interested in it.

Rainforest Sensory Table: Each week, I change the sensory table to a different small-world habitat. Creating the rainforest sensory table was easy.  I used dry peas, fake plant pieces, and rainforest animals.  Not pictured are trees students made using craft sticks and green construction paper and a river made with blue crepe paper.

At the sensory table, students are using theme-related vocabulary, practicing self-regulation as they play with others (sharing, controlling their body, inside voice), using their imagination as they play with the animals, and developing language as they engage in conversations with their peers.  Play is learning!

Savannah Sensory Table: The savannah habitat is yellow shredded paper, brown shredded paper, green Easter grass, and savannah animals.  I made a small watering hole using a blue foam board.  You can buy the shredded paper in the party section at the Dollar Tree.

Desert Sensory Table: The desert is sand, rocks, desert animals , and insects.

Arctic Sensory Table: The arctic is water, ice, and arctic animals.  I froze big bowls of water to make the icebergs!

Zoo Playdough Tray: A zoo playdough tray is great for strengthening their fine motor muscles.  Students can be creative and sculpt habitats and homes for the animals.  Students are also classifying and sorting the animals by their habitat.  The blue play dough represents water, and the green play dough represents grass or a forest.  The glass gems are fun, too!  They loved making icebergs for the Arctic animals using the white gems.

Zoo Centers for Literacy

Zoo Bookshelf: There are so many amazing zoo picture books!  I had the hardest time deciding which books to read during circle time.  I think From Head to Toe by Eric Carle is my favorite! You can check out all my favorite zoo books in this Zoo Book List!

Zoo-Themed Writing Center: At the writing desk, I added stamps!  Students could stamp the zoo vocabulary words on zoo paper ! Keep the writing desk inviting by adding new writing tools like lowercase letter stamps, uppercase letter stamps, or letter stickers.

Zoo Pre-Writing Cards give students the opportunity to trace different types of lines and shapes.  Writing is HARD!  Tracing lines using dry-erase markers makes tracing fun, even if it’s hard work!

Rainforest Read, Build, Write makes writing sight words FUN.  To add more fine motor, students would build the word by stringing letter beads on a pipe cleaner! My three-year-olds did the same activity using their friends’ names instead of sight words!

Arctic Letter Match had students match the “baby letters” (aka lowercase letters) with the “mommy letters” (aka uppercase letters)

Zoo Beginning Sound Mats and magnet letters are perfect for learning and practicing beginning sounds. Play at a table or on a magnet board.

Zoo Centers for Math

Zoo Maps:  Zoo is the perfect theme to learn about maps.  There are maps all over the zoo!  Look at real zoo maps (online or bring some into the classroom).  Notice all the different parts of a map, the labels, the symbols, and the paths.  Students made their own maps of a zoo!  That lion on this student’s map just makes me smile.

Zoo Cover Up helps students build one-to-one correspondence.  Too easy?  No worries!  Just use the double ten-frame board and two dice.  Students roll the dice and add and dot the total.

  FREE Zoo Pattern Block Mats: Pattern block mats are a staple in early childhood classrooms because they work on so many different skills at once. Students will develop their fine motor skills, spatial sense, identify shapes, and explore how they can flip/slide/move shapes to create pictures. Grab the by clicking on the picture or the blue words!

Zoo Family Number Line !  This game was a hit with the boys!  They would make the number line over and over and over. So the next day, we did it again, but with a twist. Students made a number line and then matched more animal number cards and math manipulatives (dominoes and cubes). 

Zoo Sorting has so many possibilities!  There are endless ways you can sort zoo animals.  You can sort by color, size, pattern, habitat, water/land/air, number of legs, and by things that don’t belong (ex: wings, no wings). Try sorting animal figures by size.

Zoo Spin and Graph gives students a chance to make their own graphs!  It has a spinner, too, which students LOVE!  This is just a clear spinner with the mat taped to it.  Students are using magnetic bingo chips for their graph because, at the end, they clear the graph with a magnetic wand!

Zoo Centers for Art

Zoo Cutting Collage:  Have you tried magazine cutting collages?  If not, you should!  Grab some zoo magazines or any magazines with animals and let students cut out the pictures.  And, yes, the little threes will cut right through the animal.  Just be happy they are having fun cutting and strengthening those little muscles. Tape is their friend. If you don’t have any magazines, ask parents to donate them, or you can buy old ones at the library super cheap.

Desert ART FREEBIE! Go grab it BELOW.  Some of my students have never seen a desert or a cactus before.  I printed out a few photos of cactus plants to help them visualize what they were creating. Students cut out the green ovals and glued them to the brown paper to create their cactus plant.  Then, using a fork, students scraped on “spines” with white paint.  It is the perfect activity for students who need to practice cutting curves.

>>Grab the FREEBIE by entering your email in the box at the bottom of this blog post!<<

Rainforest Art! We also created Rainforest Art!  Students drew the branches of the trees using a brown marker.  Then they added leaves with green puffy paint.  Puffy paint is super easy to make. Just mix glue, shaving cream, and food coloring together.

Zoo Animal Painting! Writing and drawing on vertical surfaces is SO important for little learners!  To support my little artists, I put photos of zoo animals in the art tray.  Students would use them as they painted.  They could look at the photo and decide what colors or parts of the animal to paint.

Did they have to use the photos?  Absolutely not.  If someone wanted to paint a purple giraffe with ten legs, they absolutely could.

Zoo Animal Masks I put out a sorting tray with brown/black circles, feathers, brown/yellow/orange/black stripes, and orange triangles.  Students could create any zoo animal mask they wanted, and look how they turned out!  Now, the lions may look more like suns, but don’t you just love how they are all unique? Some students wanted to make other animals like alligators and elephants. They even told me what supplies they needed to create them!

Zoo Centers for Blocks and Science

Zoo Blocks Center: In blocks, as we learned about each habitat, I asked students what materials they needed to create the habitat.  They decided what we needed and helped me make the labels!  I also added STEM I Can Build Landforms and Habitat posters and non-fiction books for visual support too. The “sand dunes” are just yellow card stock cut up into odd shapes.  The icebergs are triangle blocks covered in foil.

Zoo Science: Explore habitats at the science table during a zoo theme. If you focus on one habitat a week, then make the science table about the habitat you are exploring each week to match. You can also pick a favorite, like a rainforest, and just explore one. It’s up to you. Pack the science table with real photos, vocabulary cards, plastic animals, magnifying glasses, and items for students to build tiny animal habitats at the table. You can grab all of these zoo printables in my All About Habitats Science Unit . 

Zoo Centers for Dramatic Play

Zoo Dramatic Play: We changed the dramatic play center into a ZOO!  You can read all about the transformation HERE .

I hope that you are inspired and filled your lesson plan book with tons of fun and engaging zoo centers for your little learners.

Want all my ZOO center printables you see in this post plus a ton more? 

Go grab zoo math and literacy centers here. just print, prep, and teach.

Grab my Habitats and Landforms STEM I Can Build HERE (posters I used in the blocks center).

Grab my All About Habitats Science Unit (includes Ocean, Savanna, Rainforest, Desert, and Polar Regions) for the science center.

Want to see the zoo centers in action? Check out the video .

Love these zoo centers? Pin it!

Hey, i’m jackie.

I’m Jackie, your go-to girl for early childhood inspiration and research-based curriculum. 

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Zoo theme activities for teaching and learning about zoo animals in preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten.

You can find my favorite books about the zoo HERE .

Zoo Literacy Activities

Zoo Math Activities

Printable Monkey Grid Game

Help young children build number sense with this fun, printable monkey grid game. This game is available in the Building Number Sense with Grid Games packet.

Fun Zoo Activities

Torn Paper Tiger Materials: orange construction paper, black construction paper, glue, crayons Give the students orange paper and have them tear a rectangular body and square head, four legs, a tail, and two ears. Next, use black paper and have the students tear it to make the tiger’s stripes. Students glue the “stripes” on the tiger and add facial features with crayons. This is a fantastic fine motor activity.

Favorite Zoo Animal Graph Materials: chart paper, crayons or markers, Xerox copies of favorite book covers. Xerox the covers of several favorite zoo books that you have read during your zoo unit. Shrink them to size, cut, and glue to the top of a piece of chart paper. Have the students write their name with markers under their favorite story. Use the results to discuss “more or less” and other math related concepts.

Bingo Marker Giraffe Materials: giraffe shape, yellow construction paper, permanent marker, bingo dot markers, scissors, crayons. Trace a giraffe shape onto yellow construction paper with a permanent marker. Next, allow the students to add the giraffe’s spots using the bingo markers. When finished they can cut out the giraffe shapes and add facial features with crayons.

Zoo Printables

Free zoo printables.

Zoo Links Prekinders Safari Theme Prekinders Rainforest Theme

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Engaging Littles

Simple zoo themed activities.

Does your child like animals? These fun and simple zoo activities are perfect for adding to a zoo themed week!

This free simple activity plan includes doable zoo activity ideas that are great for the animal lover preschoolers in your life.

Hands-on, easy to prep, and great for encouraging talking and learning about the ZOO!

GRAB YOUR FREE ZOO SIMPLE ACTIVITY PLAN HERE!

Take a picture peek at each of the ideas below and be sure to garb the one page print out to add to your fridge for easy reference.

RELATED: Themed Simple Activity Plans

ZOO ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Literacy: zoo sounds.

Collect a few toy zoo animals and write the beginning sound for each on a sheet of paper. Set the toy animals in a basket or on a tray and have your child pick an animal, say the animals name, then find and match it to the correct beginning sound. *No toy animals, just sketch a few on paper or google few pictures to download.

Find our favorite zoo animal toys HERE!

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post at no cost to you.

MATH: GIRAFE SPOTS

Draw a simple giraffe on a sheet of paper and leave off the spots! Set the picture out with a bowl of Cheerios and a dice. Have your child roll the dice and add spots to their giraffe. Ready for addition? Give your child two dice and have them roll and add.

FINE MOTOR: PLAY DOUGH SNAKES

Set up a play dough snakes invitation to work on fine motor skills. Grab a tray and add play dough , googly eyes , cut straws, beads, and gems to it. Ask your child to roll the play dough to make a snake and then use the supplies to decorate it. Can they make a pattern snake? How many beads did they add to their snake? What color is their snake?

CRAFT: HANDPRINT LION MASK

Cut out the center of a paper plate. Trace your child’s hand on a sheet of paper then cut out multiple orange and yellow handprints. Glue the handprints to the paper plate rim (this will form your lion mane). Cut out and add two brown paper ears. Hold your lion mask in  front of your face. ROAR!

BUILD: BLOCK ZOO

Set out some play blocks and zoo animal toys . Invite your kids to create a ZOO! Have them build cages for the animals, add a tape walkway, and then encourage them to add sticky note name labels for each animal. Have fun walking through the zoo and visiting all the animals.

SENSORY: ANIMAL BATH

Fill a large tub with soapy water. Toss in some zoo animal toys and a sponge or two. Have fun washing and cleaning the animals.

MOVE: ANIMAL ACTIONS

My girls are in LOVE with this fun zoo animal action song. Take a little dance break and try out these moves!

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE ZOO SIMPLE ACTIVITY PLAN HERE

So are you ready for some zoo themed fun? Download the free simple activity plan and enjoy these easy ideas for kids! Let me know which is your favorite and be sure to tag me over on IG @engaging_littles so I can see al the fun you are having.

Need MORE ZOO themed activity ideas?

I have an entire set of Pre-K printable centers and activities that are ZOO THEMED! These printable math and literacy centers are perfect for adding to a learning shelf or pulling out for some more focused leanring time style activities . You can check out the entire pack here in my TPT shop.

Kelly McFarland

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Zoo Preschool Activities: Book Reading, Crafts, Yoga, Field Trip Ideas, Flash Cards, And Games

January 27, 2024 //  by  Seda Unlucay

Kids are endlessly fascinated by zoo animals and thankfully there's no shortage of entertaining activities to support their learning.

This collection of engaging zoo activities for preschoolers includes classic books about animals, adorable crafts, literacy and numeracy-based activities, and plenty of ideas for dramatic play.

1. Read a Fun Book About Animals

This classic zoo book makes an excellent opportunity to teach about the concepts of light and shadow and night and day while developing key color and animal name vocabulary.

Learn more: Kid Activities with Alexa

2. Make an Adorable Lion Craft

This educational activity is a fantastic way to develop core math skills including counting and number recognition.

Learn more: Rainy Day Mum

3. Do Some Animal Yoga

Your young learner will love pretending to be an eagle perched on a tree, an elephant with an arm for a trunk, or a kangaroo hopping with paw hands. There's no better way to develop their gross and fine motor skills!

Learn more: The Educators' Spin on It

4. Favorite Zoo Animal Craft Idea 

Kids will get good motor development practice using just the right amount of watercolor to cover the salt in these beautiful zoo creations. Why not let them choose their favorite animals to cut and decorate?

Learn more: Toddler Approved

5. Make a White Paper Plate Monkey 

Why not repurpose leftover paper plates into an adorable monkey? You can also add other zoo animals to complete the jungle theme.

6. Play a Game of Barrel of Monkeys

This classic game makes for an excellent opportunity to develop fine motor coordination and visual perception skills while challenging learners to create the longest chain of monkeys they can.

Learn more: Classic Games and Puzzles

7. Have an Animal Fashion Show

Grab some plastic zoo animals and have kids dress them up for their very own fashion show. Besides being a ton of creative fun, this is a great activity for sharpening 1-to-1, fine motor development, and scissor skills while learning to recognize and name colors.

Learn more: Mama Smiles

8. Take a Virtual Field Trip 

This virtual zoo field trip includes an educational tour, offering all sorts of interesting facts about animal habitats and animal features while giving kids an up-close look at apes, lions, baby penguins, and more.

Learn more: South Florida PBS

9. Do An Animal Dance

This animal movement game is a great way to build comprehension skills as well as strengthen body and brain connections. Kids can also express their creativity by adding animal sounds and putting their own twist on each of the dances.

Learn More: Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel

10. Preschool Zoo Activity 

This educational activity challenges young learners to think critically in order to sort animals into separate bins of farm and zoo animals. You can enhance their learning by asking questions about what the animals eat, where they live, and how they move.

Learn more: A Little Pinch of Perfect

11. Animal Finger Puppets 

This animal puppet printable activity requires only some craft sticks and white construction paper and can be used for singing songs or telling stories. Why not get your young learners to act out their own zoo animal play?

Learn more: Twinkl

12. Make Zoo Animal Masks

This hands-on art center activity takes some time to design but makes for adorable zoo animal creations that will keep kids busy and amused for hours.

Learn more: Surviving a Teacher's Salary

13. Animal Alphabet Flash Cards 

This collection of free printable animal cards is a perfect activity for kids to learn about these amazing animals. It also makes a great way to practice their uppercase and lowercase letters and letter sounds.

Learn more: Look We're Learning

15. Animal Alphabet Puzzles

This animal puzzle is a great way to develop visual discrimination skills. It can also be combined with writing tools to practice beginning letter sounds.

Learn more: Activity Mom

16. Animal Number Cards

This collection of animal picture cards makes for an easy, no-prep activity. It will help preschoolers learn number correspondence by connecting the number of objects to a number line.

Learn more: STEAMsational

17. Flap Book by Rod Campbell

This classic interactive flap book has beautiful bright illustrations that bring the vibrant sights and sounds of the zoo into the home. Kids will be delighted to guess the animals hiding in each crate.

18. Zoo Animal Figures Rescue Game

This zoo animal rescue activity is sure to feel like a secret mission. It's a great way for kids to practice imaginative play while developing their creativity and oral language skills.

Learn more: Oh Hey Let's Play

19. Zoo Animal Theme STEM Activity

This zoo-themed STEM activity is a great challenge for children to build durable animal homes for their zoo animal toys.

Learn more: Sarah J Creations

20. Play Zoo Animal Charades

This free printable game of charades is a great way to get kids moving. It's perfect for a game night or as a fun and engaging indoor activity on a rainy day.

Learn more: Buggy and Buddy

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Zoo Theme for Preschool

A Zoo Theme for Preschool !  How fun! There are SO many animals we could cover here!  I was not sure how to set up this page....alphabetically by animal or by interest center!  

I decided to keep the same format as the other themed pages.  

That means that you'll find activities grouped by Interest Center (Art, Blocks, etc.) and within each interest center animal activities will be in alphabetical order.  I hope it is helpful!

You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my  preschool themes page .

Also, at the end of this page, under Miscellaneous Activities, you will find links to pages for Zoos around the US.  

If you have any other links, please send them my way and I'll add them to that section!  Simply use the Contact Me button on the left!

Let the Zoo Theme planning begin!

You can either scroll down through this page to see all of the preschool activities for your zoo theme or click the link below to go to specific preschool activity types you are looking for.

Zoo Theme Art

Traditional but always fun for the kids!

Materials needed:  paper plates, tan and orange paint, tan yarn, black yarn, scissors, glue, googly eyes

The children paint the paper plate.  They add googly eyes.  Show them how to glue black yarn (or a piece of black pipe cleaner) to make the mouth.  They then brush paint around the outer edge of the paper plate and place pieces of tan yarn all the way around the for the mane.

Materials needed:  bright finger paint colors, paper, brushes.

Trace an oval shape on white paper for the parrots body.  The children paint this with their hands using a bright color.  Cut out when dry.  

Then, help the children to paint their hands and fingers with a variety of finger paint colors.  press on each side of the oval (overlapping on the oval a bit) for feathers.

Add googly eyes.

Penguins!  (this was taken from my Winter Animals Theme page)

In a zoo theme?  Why, yes!

Materials Needed: Pictures of penguins; black and white scraps of paper; wiggly eyes; small orange triangles (for beaks!); school glue; construction paper to glue collage on.

Encourage the children to tear the black and white scraps of paper to make their own penguin! Some of your children may comment "I can't make a penguin." Oh yes they can! Children are very used to being told, step by step, how to "make" something that they don't have the option to just create and creating, after all, is what art is all about!

Show them the pictures of penguins. Discuss what they look like: Black bodies, white stomachs, eyes, beak, etc.). Tearing the paper is great for their fine motor skills.

VARIATION: If you want to encourage scissor cutting skills, give each child a rectangle shape of black paper (about 8" X 4") and a white rectangle of paper (about 5" X 3").

The teacher takes one piece of the black paper and says "I'm going to make a penguin body. (Get your scissors and start cutting with no specific shape in mind and say) "Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut..." Continue until you've cut out a random shape. Say "That's the body. Now I'm going to make the white belly. (Do the same with a white piece of paper saying) Cut, cut, cut, cut....". Continue until you have a white shape cut out. Glue the white to the black and tell the children "There, I made a penguin! I'm going to give it 2 eyes and a beak...there! Now you make your own penguins! I think all of our penguins will look different!"

This was remarkably successful with our preschoolers! We had tiny, baby penguins, large penguins, etc.! They looked great and the children were quite proud of their artwork!

More Penguins

Materials needed:  paper towel tubes cut in half (you'll need 1/2 a tube for each child), black and white construction paper, glue and brushes, googly eyes, pre-cut orange triangles.

The children "paint" the tube with watered down glue.  They tear black and white paper to make stick on their tube.

They glue on googly eyes and an orange nose.

They could also tear out some feet and wings to glue on!

Polar Bears!     Thanks to the Sharfenberg Clan for this idea!

Yes, in a zoo theme!

Provide shaving cream mixed with glue (equal amounts make puffy paint!) for the children to use.  They add googly eyes!

Materials needed:  white paper plates with a circle drawn (using a permanent black marker, start in the middle and draw a circle that goes round and round to the outside); scissors, markers, googly eyes, glue

The children color their snakes first (before cutting them).  You could use markers, water color paint, crayons, etc.

When dry, the children cut on the bold line to make the snake.

They add googly eyes.  

Hole punch and hang from the ceiling!

Zebra Masks

Materials Needed: paper plates with eye holes cut out, black paint and brushes, pre-cut black triangles, glue.

The children paint black stripes on their paper plates.  Remember, their stripes do NOT have to be completely up and down or right to left!  Let them decide on the direction of the stripes.  This is a great eye-hand coordination activity!

When done painting, help the children to glue on a black triangle nose and ears!

It might be best to let the paint dry before gluing on the ears and nose.

VARIATION:  Rather than pre-cut triangles, make some triangle templates (from file folders) and have the children trace and cut their own to practice those tracing and cutting skills!  They can cut them after painting to give the masks time to dry.

Group Zoo Themed Mural

In a large space, provide very large paper and paint and brushes.

Have the children, in small groups, paint a mural...trees, grass, dirt, ponds, etc.

EXTENSION:  Provide animal stencils, paper, markers and scissors at a table.  The children who are not painting can work on tracing, cutting and coloring zoo animals.

Later in the week when the mural is dry, the children add the animals to the area of their mural they think it belongs!

Zoo Theme Block Center Ideas

The Zoo Theme Park

Provide plastic zoo animals, plastic fences, plastic trees and pieces of blue paper (for water).

Zoo Theme Circle Time Ideas

Circle Time is such a great time for children to learn the social skills of being together as a large group AND to learn more about your zoo theme!

Monkeys Jumping On The Bed!

Make some flannel pieces for each of the characters in the book.  I have, in the past, color copied pages from the book and then laminated them and attached velcro to the back for a flannel board story.

Give 5 children a monkey and sing the song.  Place a bed, the Mama and the Doctor on the flannel board and point to them when you get to that part.

Repeat so all children have a turn placing a monkey on the board as you sing the song together.

Why the Animals Don't Talk!  by Jean Warren

This is one of my favorite flannel stories about animals!  Jean Warren adapted a Native American Folktale into this wonderful story that goes well with a Zoo Theme!  

You can make flannel board pieces for the children to place on the flannel board as you tell this or you can use stuffed animals and the children place them in the middle of circle as you tell the story.

I have placed the link to Jean Warren's website for you at the end of this story.

Tell the following story:

Many years ago, when people came to this great land, the animals of the forest talked.  The people learned many things from the friendly animals.

The horse taught them how to run fast.

The bear showed them how to follow a trail.

The raccoon taught them how to climb trees.

The beaver taught them how to catch fish and build houses.

The dog taught them how to be patient.

The people and animals lived happily together for many years.  The people practiced all that the animals had taught them and became very skilled at living in the woods.   So skilled, in fact, that they began to feel they were better than the animals.

Soon the people started taking more than their share.  They robbed the forests of timber for their boats and took animal furs to make their clothes.  They even stole honey from the bees.

The animals got worried and called a meeting.  They were mad because the people had taken what they had taught them and were now using that knowledge to outwit, outrun and out-think them.

"Well, I for one will not tell them any more secrets," said the beaver.

"Neither will we," said the horse and the dog.

"My mouth will be sealed," said the bear.

"So will ours," said the raccoon and the beaver.

And that is why to this day the animals don't talk.

Snack Recipe Ideas to Cook Up for Your Zoo Theme!

Cooking with children helps develop their math skills and helps them to learn how to follow directions. It also allows for some great zoo themed animal conversation! Ask many questions while cooking with your children to encourage conversation! Be sure to ask specific zoo themed questions while making these fun snacks!

Zebra Sandwiches

One of my Mom's favorite snacks was ANYTHING with cream cheese!  Her favorite was cream cheese and green olive sandwiches.  For this theme, you could use black, sliced olives!

Have the children help spread cream cheese (soften and whip it ahead of time to make it easier to spread).

Provide black, sliced olives for the children to make stripes with!

Zoo Theme Snack

Back "in the day", it was popular to shell and work with peanuts during this theme.  I do NOT recommend this at all.  There are far too many peanut allergies and the preschool age is when these allergies present themselves.  Let's go with a safer snack alternative!

Let's make popcorn!  Bring in an air-popper and make some popcorn.  Add a small amount of butter.  Separate and make into different flavors.  You can sprinkle with:

Parmesan  Cheese

Cinnamon  and Sugar

Monkey Bread (from Pillsbury’s site ):

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Home-style refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

1/2 cup raisins, if desired

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan with shortening or cooking spray. In large -storage plastic food bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.

Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan, adding walnuts and raisins among the biscuit pieces.

In small bowl, mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.

Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Animal Cages

Spread some frosting (or cream cheese or peanut butter) onto a graham cracker square. Place an animal cracker on top. Place black licorice strings over top to make it look like the animal is in a cage!

Like What You See So Far? Join my FREE Preschool Teacher Tips Email Community today and receive: Weekly tips and planning ideas! And, on the 1st of each month I'll email you a free theme starter pack that includes a printable activity mat or game,  Calendar pieces, a playdough recipe and a song poster!  Join NOW and I'll also send you the theme planning forms I use! It's all FREE? You in?  Just tell me where to send your goodies below!

Zoo Theme Ideas to Transform Your Dramatic Play Area

The Nursery- With a zoo theme twist!   Thank you to Christina B. for this idea!

Add stuffed animals to the area with baby bottles, blankets, pretend food.  Also, ask the parents for donations of diapers so the children can practice diapering their babies!  The children are the parents caring for their baby animals.  What does each baby need to eat, drink, etc.?!

Zoo Theme Ideas for your Easel -- 

More Than Just Painting (Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom!)

My Zoo Theme Park!

Provide paint, brushes and foam animal sponges.  The children paint the sponges and press onto their paper.  They can embellish by adding trees, ponds, rivers, etc.

Zoo Theme Large Group Games

that help build their muscles while they have fun together

Zoo Charades

After learning about different animals, encourage the children, one at a time, to act out one animal for the other children to guess.  Have them whisper in your ear which animal they will be (they tend to change their mind mid-acting!).

Or, bring pictures of zoo animals to your area.  Show each child a picture of one and tell them to act that one out!

Pass the Animal

You will need a CD player and some instrumental music (your choice!) or any music and a lot of stuffed animals.

The children sit in a large circle.  Start the music.  Begin passing the animal from child to child.  When the music stops, the child with the animal holds it up in the air and all the children make the sound the animal makes!

Zoo Theme Ideas for Your Library And Literacy Activities for your Preschool Classroom

Zebra Song and Flannel Story

Provide 10 pre-cut zebra flannel board pieces and a flannel board.

Teach the children this song:

1 little, 2 little, 3 little zebras.  4 little, 5 little, 6 little zebras.

7 little, 8 little, 9 little zebras.  10 little zebras galloping across the Plains!

Try doing it backwards!

10 little, 9 little 8 little zebras.  Etc.

VARIATION:  This could also be placed in the math/manipulatives area.

ANOTHER VARIATION:  Change the name of the animal and the habitat it lives in.  We use this tune to sing about EVERYTHING!  

Zoo Theme Book Suggestions for the Library

(I LOVE Amazon, and some of the links below will take you to the Amazon website.  If you do choose to purchase yours through Amazon, they do send me a few cents--which supports my coffee habit! )

Listening Center Ideas

Animal Sounds

The children listen to the tape and have to match the sound with the animal that made that sound. (You could also make your own tape or CD of sounds)

Zoo Theme Activities to Help your Preschoolers Develop Those Small Muscles in their Hands!

Animal Counting

You can use either baskets or buckets to have children place a certain number of animals into. I use strawberry baskets (little black wire baskets) because they look like cages. I place a picture on the front of a number and an animal, and the children have to place that many of that animal in the basket. Great for counting and sorting too!

I See Spots!

In advance, cut out an enlarged leopard with NO spots!  Provide sticky dots or precut circles with tape on the backs.

The children add and remove dots while counting.

Encourage specific placement.  "Can you add 4 spots to the leopard?  Can you take away 3 spots?"

Hungry, Hungry, Hippos

Does anyone remember this board game!  It is still available and a great one for this theme!

More Hungry, Hungry, Hippos!   Thanks to Paige G. for this activity!

Materials needed:  index cards with numerals on them, cups, Hippo shaped chip clips!

The child draws a number and then has to feed their hippo the correct number of items. I found some hippo shaped chip clips at the Dollar Tree that I scooped up! You would be incorporating number recognition, counting, 1-to-1, fine motor development, as well as social/emotional if you make it a partner game.

Zebra Stripe Matching

In advance, make pairs of matching stripes.  Some diagonal, up and down, perhaps even circular shapes.

The children match them up.  This would make a good file folder activity.

Zoo Animal Puzzles   Thank you to Wendy B. for this suggestion!

You will need posters of different zoo animals.  Laminate the pictures/posters and then cut into puzzle shapes!

Zoo Memory   Thank you to Wendy B. for this suggestion!

Find matching pictures of zoo animals and glue onto index cards.  Make into a memory game!

Black and White Shape Sorting

You could actually do this with the main color of any animal (orange and white for giraffes, etc.)

Cut out black shapes of several sizes.  Cut out matching white shapes.

The children match them.

Again, this would make a great file folder activity.  Glue the white shapes on a file folder.  Laminate the folder.  Now laminate the black shapes.  The children match them on the folder.  (I also staple a Ziploc baggie on the back of the folder to hold the pieces when not in use.).

Count the Leaves (bananas, etc.!)   Thank you to Wendy B. for this suggestion!

You could make Hippos and then each hippo has a number from 1-10 the children then have to place the correct number of leaves on each hippo. You could the same for Monkey/banana and Panda/Bamboo. You could also do the same for uppercase and lowercase letters.

Zoo Theme Music and Movement Activities and Ideas

to get your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin'!

Zebra Song     Sung to I'm a Little  Teapot  (I believe this is a Jean Warren song).

I'm a little zebra, white and black.

I have a big bushy mane down my back.

I like to gallop and run and play

On the African plains all day.

Animal Antics

This is a fantastic song by Hap Palmer.  

Animal Action

This is one of my favorite animal songs!  

It is a must have CD for preschool.  You'll use it all year!  

Zoo Theme Activities for the Senses!

The Winter Zoo

Instead of sand, add Insta-snow (it can be found at teacher stores) to your table with zoo animals.

If you don't have access to insta-snow, use shaving cream!

Zoo Theme Science Activities --

for your Preschool Scientists in Training!

Let's Monkey Around!     Thanks to Robyn R. for this idea!

You know those barrel of monkey games you have?  You probably have several in different colors even!  

Put them at your science center with a balance scale for the children to sort and weigh!

And while you're at it, place another barrel of monkeys out for the children to just use and try to connect!

Panda Bear Life Cycle     Thank you Mary N. for this idea!

Find pictures of the life cycle of Pandas and laminate.  After reading about Panda, the children put the pictures in order.

EXTENSION:  This is a great idea to focus on any zoo animal you are talking about:  Alligators, monkeys, etc.!

Penguins and Polar Bears- Keeping Warm!

Penguins and Polar Bears need to keep warm!  Their skin has blubber under it, much like whales.

Let your children experience how this helps!

Materials Needed:  Crisco shortening, 4 plastic baggies for each child, duck tape or packing tape, bucket with cold water and ice.

Have the children scoop Crisco into one baggie.  Using a spoon (or a baggie covered hand), you spread the Crisco in the baggie so that all of the sides of the baggie are covered.

Now place a second baggie into the Crisco baggie.  Tape the baggies together so the Crisco can not squish out.  This is the child's "blubber".

The child places one hand in the blubber bag and places their hand in the cold water.

Now cover the child's other hand with a baggie only (no Crisco in it) and place that hand in the water.

Discuss the difference of how cold one hand is versus the other!

VARIATION:  It may be easier to make 4 blubber bags ahead of time and let the children take turns using them!

Feed the Zoo Themed Animals!    Thank you to Wendy B. for this suggestion!

Select 5 animals and 5 foods each animal eats.  The children need to match the correct food to the correct animal.

You could use pictures of the animals or small, stuffed animals and place a bowl in front of each animal to put the play food (or cut out food from magazines and pictures) in the bowls. 

Writing Activity Ideas for Your Zoo Theme!

My Favorite Zoo Animal

Provide colored pencils, crayons, markers.  

The children draw their favorite animal at the zoo and tell you a story about it.

Print the name of the animal and encourage the child to print the name on their picture.

Write down their "story" about their picture.  

You can display these, read their stories while showing the picture at story time or make a class book out of this!

Welcome to the Zoo!

Provide animal magazines, scissors, glue sticks and pencils.  Cover the table with a large piece of paper.

In advance, make animal cards by gluing a picture of a zoo animal and printing the name below the picture on an index card.  Display them at the Writing Table.

The children cut out and glue animals on the paper.  They then try to print the name of the animal under the picture they place on it.

Miscellaneous Activities for Your Zoo Theme

Visit a Zoo!

If there is no zoo or animal/ zoo theme park near you, ask a pet store owner if they can bring in a few animals!

Bring the Zoo To You!

Invite a company that can bring animals to your program.  

Or, show some fun Zoo videos!

There are some great videos you can buy or stream to give the children a chance to see the animals moving and interacting in a zoo setting.  

Check your local library to see what they have or can request from another library (Inter-Library Loan) or click the picture below to read about my favorite!

Visit a Zoo Online!

Below are links to different Zoo Exhibits from a variety of zoos!  Perhaps you can bring in your computer and check them out with the kids!

One to google for you is Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia.

Another is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado (This one even has a giraffe cam!)

Here are links to a few more!

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60 Adorable Zoo Animal Crafts for Preschool

Categories Arts and Crafts

Are you planning a field trip to your local zoo? Or maybe your kids favorite books are about wild animals? Expand your children’s natural interest by creating any of these 60 Zoo Animal Crafts for Preschool .

Disclosure: Some of the links provided in this blog are affiliate links. I will be paid a commission if you use this link to make a purchase.

Zoo Animal Crafts for Preschool

1. Paper Plate Polar Bear Craft

There are so many different zoo crafts you can make with paper plates. This cute polar bear craft is made with cotton balls, making it wonderfully soft and fluffy.

Photo: Little Bins for Little Hands

2. 3D Polar Bear Craft

This preschool zoo craft features one of my kids favorite animals. This polar bear craft is beautiful, and will look wonderful on your classroom wall.

Photo: Arty Crafty Kids

3. Shaving Cream Polar Bear Craft

If you’re looking for fun family crafts then try using shaving cream to make this polar bear craft . This is a great sensory experience for toddlers and preschoolers to enjoy while they get creative.

Photo: Parenting Chaos

4. Milk Jug Elmer Elephant Craft

Learn how to turn a milk jug into this Elmer elephant craft . It’s always fun to use the recycling to make different animals.

Photo: The Imagination Tree

5. Crumpled Newspaper Elephant Craft

This is one of my favorite zoo animal crafts for preschool. Using crumpled newspaper to make this elephant craft is also a great way to develop fine motor skills.

Photo: Buggy and Buddy

6. Toilet Paper Roll Elephant

Save your cardboard tubes to make this adorable toilet roll elephant craft .Kids will love making these little guys.

Photo: Red Ted Art

7. Paper Plate Lion

Preschool zoo animal crafts are always a hit with my little ones. Here we used a salad spinner to make the mane on this paper plate lion . If you’re exploring a zoo theme with your class, be sure to give this craft project a try.

8. Foam Cup Lion Craft for Kids

This lion craft made from a foam cup looks like so much fun to make. It’s lovely to see so many different zoo crafts for kids that are cute and easy to make.

Photo: i Heart Crafty Things

9. Curly Paper Lion Craft

Fun zoo animal crafts are a wonderful way to talk to kids about the different animals in the world. This lion craft has a wonderful curly mane that looks like heaps of fun to make. 

10. Cute Monkey Craft with Free Template

Get your free printable template and make an adorable paper monkey craft . This is a great arts and crafts for kids, who need to practice their scissor skills.

Photo: Simple Everyday Mom

11. Paper Plate Monkey Craft

Making easy zoo animal crafts are fantastic preschool activities that you can do all year round. For example, learn how to turn a paper plate into a lovely monkey craft .

Photo: Easy Peasy and Fun

12. Toilet Paper Roll Monkey Craft.

This toilet roll monkey is a great craft to do with the kids. This preschool zoo craft is a wonderful accompanying activity for the “cheeky monkey” counting song.

Photo: Homeschool Preschool

13. Toilet Roll Giraffe

Save your recycling because you’re going to need it to make this epic toilet roll giraffe craft . There are so many different zoo crafts you can make with some cardboard and a bit of imagination.

14. Finger Puppet Giraffe Craft

This Giraffe finger puppet is an example of the many great ideas that you can find on the internet. Like so many kids art ideas, it’s easy to make, but fun to play with afterwards too.

15. 3D Paper Giraffe Craft

Isn’t it amazing what adorable zoo animals you can make out of paper? This paper giraffe craft looks so colorful and fun. It makes me want to try some zoo animal crafts for preschool right away.

16. Cardboard Tube Zebra

Not only does this zany zebra craft come with zebra’s stripes, but also a cheeky personality as well. Kids will love making this mischievous character for themselves.

17. Paper Plate Zebra Craft

I love using paper plates for kids crafts, and here they make the perfect base for a fun stripy zebra . Use paper or yarn to glue some black stripes onto the plate and make a happy face.

Photo: Happy Hooligans

18. Z is for Zebra Craft

Alphabet crafts are a fantastic way to help kids with letter recognition. This Z for Zebra craft is the perfect way to end the alphabet.

Photo: A Dab of Glue Will Do

19. Paper Plate Tiger Craft

If you’re planning a trip to your local zoo, then try this easy paper plate tiger craft . This is a wonderful way to get your kids excited about their outing.

Photo: Happy Toddler Playtime

20. Cardboard Tube Tiger Craft for Kids

Zoo activities are always a hit with toddlers and preschoolers. This toilet roll tiger craft is a fun way to get creative with your old cardboard rolls.

Photo: Creative Family Fun

21. Sticky Tiger Craft

Kids craft ideas don’t have to be messy or difficult. Glue the black stripes onto this sticky tiger craft , for a simple art activity.

Photo: Toddler Approved

22. Paper Panda Craft

Your kids will have a great time making this preschool zoo craft. This cute panda puppet is perfect if you’ve got a puppet theater for your kids to play with in the classroom.

Photo: Moms and Crafters

23. Fork Print Panda Bear Craft

Use a fork to make a cute panda bear . Forks are a great way to paint fur when making animal art projects. Either designate a regular fork as the painting fork, or use wooden forks instead.

Photo: Crafty Morning

24. Paper Roll Panda Craft

If you’re planning some zoo animal activities for your class, be sure to include this cardboard tube panda craft . How adorable are these little creatures?

Photo: Non Toy Gifts

25. Plastic Spoon Penguin Craft

Kids will love turning plastic spoons into penguins . This is one of the cutest zoo animal crafts for preschool, and easy enough for young children to make on their own.

26. Handprint Penguins

You can turn handprints into all sorts of different kinds of animals. These handprint penguins are perfect for zoo or winter themed lessons.

Photo: The Best Ideas for Kids

27. Paper Roll Penguin Craft

Zoo animal crafts are fantastic for younger and older kids alike. This toilet roll penguin is easy and fun to make as an entire family.

28. Paper Plate Hippopotamus

Adorable zoo animal crafts are so varied that you can find something to suit any child. This paper plate hippopotamus has a big friendly smile that will delight anyone.

29. Cardboard Tube Hippo Craft

This toilet roll hippo is so cute and fun for kids of all ages. Get out your paint supplies, because this little guy is going to be a hit.

30. Paper Bag Hippopotamus

With so many options, I’m sure that you’ll find your new favorite zoo animal crafts in no time. Making a hippopotamus out of a paper bag is a fun project for anyone looking for kids activities.

31. Paper Plate Rhino Craft

When I started looking for zoo crafts to try, I could only find one rhino. Fortunately this adorable rhino craft is another example of what amazing paper plate crafts you can make in your early years classroom.

32. Newspaper Koala Craft

Making a koala out of newspaper is a fun preschool zoo craft. This art project is easy enough for preschool and kindergartners to do, but will also look amazing on the classroom wall.

33. Toilet Paper Roll Koala Craft for Kids

My kids love learning about the different zoo animals there are. This koala is made from a cardboard tube and some paint, but will make a wonderful addition to your collection of animal crafts.

34. Cardboard Tube Cheetah Craft

Make sure to save your toilet rolls from the recycling bin, because you can turn them into this lovely paper roll cheetah craft .

35. Handprint Cheetah Craft

Make animal pictures out of your students handprints. This handprint cheetah is easy and fun to make. Making it not only a great zoo animal crafts for preschool, but for toddlers and babies as well.

Photo: Fun Handprint Art Blog

36. Recycled Cup Cheetah Craft

You can make this sweet cheetah craft out of plastic cups , or even egg cartons. Hide them in amongst some green paper grass to create a zoo scene.

Photo: Artsy Momma

37. Fuzzy Brown Bear Craft

Make sure that you have enough room on your preschool wall, because you are going to want to hang up these preschool zoo animal crafts. These paper plate brown bears are easy to make, and if you want to cut out the eyes, can also make great masks for the kids to play with.

Photo: What Can We Do With Paper and Glue

38. Brown Bear Puppet Craft

Toddlers and preschoolers will love learning all of the different animal names with these zoo crafts for kids. Turn a paper bag into a bear puppet and let your kids create their own bear story once they’re finished being creative.

Photo: Coffee Cups and Crayons

39. Recycled CD Bear Craft

Learn how to turn an old CD into a bear craft . This is a fun kids art idea for older children, because it gives them something different to create with.

40. Jaguar Mask

I love printable activities, especially when it’s a free template for the kids to build on like this jaguar mask . Add this wonderful idea to your pile of zoo animals printables to try this year.

Photo: JDaniel4’s Mom

41. Recycled Tub Tortoise Craft

Here’s another idea that uses recycling to make arts and crafts for kids. If you’ve got some spare plastic tubs, then that’s the perfect time to make this lovely glittery tortoise craft .

Photo: The Craft Train

42. Tortoise Painted Rocks

Use some pebbles as a base for your animal craft ideas. These rock tortoises are a great rock painted preschool zoo craft.

Photo: Kitchen Floor Crafts

43. Pipe Cleaner Flamingo Craft

Make this pretty pink flamingo craft out of pipe cleaners. This is also a fantastic way to develop some fine motor skills.

Photo: Artsy Craftsy Mom

44. Handprint Flamingo Craft

Using handprints are a wonderful way to make kids art ideas.This flamingo is a fun paper animal craft that uses children’s handprints to make either a card, or a regular picture. 

45. Cupcake Liner Flamingo Craft

Use a glue stick and a cupcake liner to make a flamingo craft . This is an easy 

46. Peacock Animal Craft

Explore the beautiful different colors that appear in the tail with this feather peacock craft .

Photo: Powerful Mothering

47. Recycled CD Peacock Craft

Have you ever thought about using an old CD to make cute animal crafts? This CD Peacock craft is a fantastic way to use a CD to make kids crafts with.

48. Paper Doily Peacock Craft 

Use googly eyes and painted doilies to make this cute paper doily peacock .

Photo: Messy Little Monster

49. Tropical Cardboard Tube Parrot Craft

There’s no better way to get creative than with kids arts and crafts. Turn a toilet roll into this colorful parrot craft .

Photo:Kids Craft Rooms

50. Handprint Parrot

Use handprints to explore new animals and make kids craft ideas, like this handprint parrot craft .

Photo: Emma Owl

51. Handprint Toucan Craft for Kids

Here’s another craft that’s perfect for little hands. Make a toucan handprint craft to help explore animals that you’ll find in the zoo or the rainforest.

Photo: i Heart Arts n Crafts

52. Cupcake Liner Toucan Craft

Use a cupcake liner to make this toucan preschool zoo craft . This craft is perfect for a zoo week in your early years classroom.

53. Adorable Sloth Craft for Kids

This paper sloth craft is a great cut and paste craft activity for little kids.

Photo: Big Family Blessings

54. Cute Sloth Handprint Craft

Kids love learning about different types of animals. This handprint sloth is another fun and unique animal to learn about.

55. Bubble Wrap Crocodile Craft

Use bubble wrap to make some fun zoo animal crafts for preschool. This bubble wrap crocodile craft is a fun project for toddlers and preschoolers.

56. Printable Crocodile Puppet

The best way to get small kids to engage in educational activities is to make them fun. This printable crocodile puppet is a fun cut and paste activity for kids.

57. Paper Snake Craft

Use construction paper to make zoo animal crafts. This beautiful snake craft is made out of a paper chain, so the kids can watch it slither and move around once it’s made.

58. Paper Plate Snake Craft

Practice scissor skills while making a twirling snake out of a paper plate .

59. Playdough Echidna

Echidnas are wonderfully unique animals. Use playdough and toothpicks to make a cute little echidna craft , and develop fine motor skills at the same time.

60. Clay Echidna

Echidna’s are great animals to include in fun animal crafts. This clay echidna is so cute and would make a great keepsake to give to parents or grandparents.

Photo: Danya Banya

Are you going to make any of these Zoo Animal Crafts for Preschool? Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.

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Zoo and Animals Preschool Activities and Printables

Preschool and Kindergarten zoo and animals activities, crafts, and printables. Elephants! Bears! And Tigers! Oh, no! Oh, yes! Zoos are places where people can go to see all different kinds of animals. These animals come from all over the world and give us the chance to see them and learn about where they come from. Zoos are also places to help animals who are almost extinct. Zoos help animals while allowing people to see them in their natural environments. With our ideas, zoo-inspired crafts, activities, emergent reader booklets, educational games, and worksheets, your children can explore and learn about the animal kingdom.

Samples of our more than 100 zoo crafts, zoo preschool activities, crafts, games, and zoo printables available in our KidsSoup Resource Library :

Themes and projects.

Activities and Lessons

Science and Exploration

Booklets and Other

Twiggle Books

Free Zoo Preschool and Kindergarten Crafs, Activities, Games, and Printables

Zoo and zookeeper activities and crafts.

Read the book   If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss.  (Dr. Seuss’s father was a zookeeper.) After reading the book,  ask children to list the different jobs  people do at the zoo. Let children make a zookeeper hat and let them share with the group what they would do if they ran a zoo. 

If I ran the zoo I would _____. Have students draw a picture illustrating a zookeeper at work and write about it. 

Zoo Keeper Song (Tune: Down by The Station)

Down at the zoo Early in the morning, You can see the animals Standing in a row. You can see me feeding One and then other. I am the zoo keeper, Watch me go!

Down at the zoo Early in the morning, You can see the animals Standing in a row. You can see me cleaning One and then other. I am the zoo keeper, Watch me go! 

Who lives in a zoo?  Ask children if they have ever been to a zoo and what animals they saw. What were their favorites? Talk to children about the different habitats that animals need and how zoos have to make their surroundings seem real for the animals. Make a chart on the board with the title "Zoo Animals" and "Not a Zoo Animal."  Ask students to name different animals and c lassify the animal as either a zoo animal or  not.  Talk about the differences and  similarities between the two classifications. Discuss with children why they think  zoos were created and how the animals get to the zoo.

Pretend to be an animal at the zoo. Let children guess what zoo animal you are thinking of and give them hints. "The animal I'm thinking of is very tall, has four legs, and brown spots." a giraffe! Encourage children to act the animal out.

Walk and stomp like an elephant. Gallop like a zebra. Waddle like a penguin. Dance like a monkey. Roar like a lion. Run like a cheetah. Slither like a snake. Jump like a kangaroo.

Feed the Animals Cut out pictures of different types of food that zoo animals eat (leaves, fruit, meat, etc.) and glue on to construcion paper to make cards. Provide toy zoo animals and let children feed the zoo animal with the correct food.

Let children  practice writing the letter “z” and  the word zoo. Write the letters Z, O, O on index cards and let children spell the word zoo.

Zoo Animals

Collect lots of natural history  magazines from  second-hand  bookstores and thrift shops. Place them on a table with craft paper, scissors, and glue sticks. Let children cut out the  animals and their habitats to  make zoo animal collages. 

We Are Going to the Zoo (Tune: London bridge)

We are going to zoo, To the zoo, to the zoo. We are going to the zoo, Won't you join us too?

We'll see lions, tigers too, Tigers too, tigers too. We'll see lions, tigers too, All at the zoo.

We will find some chimpanzees, Chimpanzees, chimpanzees. we will find some chimpanzees, Swinging from the trees.

We will look for kangaroos, Kangaroos, kangaroos. We will look for kangaroos, Hopping at the zoo. 

Animal-Picture Books Provide each child with several sheets paper, folded and stapled into a book. Encourage children to glue animal pictures cut out from magazines or their own drawn creations into their books, and then make up stories and share them with the group. 

Read the book 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo and let children name the different zoo animals. Use our zoo animal printables or word wall cards, and place the animals on the board. Write their names beside them. Together, say and read the names of the animals.

Use our 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo activities and game to count zoo animals. 

Extension: Cut the Zoo Animals Word Wall cards in to two pieces (animal picture and animal word). Review the zoo animals names and let children match the word with the pictures. Let children practice writing the names of the zoo animals.

Place the zoo animal cards inside a bag. Write the sentence "I went to the zoo and saw a _____" or for younger children " I see a _____" on the board. Ask one child to pick out a card from the bag and place it on the board in the empty space. Then read the sentence aloud. Next place the word card "and" beside the first animal. Let another child take out a card and place it at the end of the sentence. Continue until you have five animals on the board. 

Animal Memory Make two copies of the zoo animal cards. Laminate and cut out. Place the cards face down on the table and let children find the matching pairs.

Block Center Set out zoo animals (plastic or stuffed) in the block area. Encourage your children to use the blocks and sticks to build cages for the animals.

Zoo Animals Circle Time and Large Group Activities

Zookeeper What do You See? Circle Game

Place the zoo animal cards inside a basket or bag. Children are standing apart with enough room to move around. Pretend to be the zookeeper. The children chant " Zookeeper, zookeeper what do you see?" Then pick out a zoo animal card from the bag and say "I see an elephant walking next to me." (a snake slithering, a kangaroo jumping, a lion roaring, etc.)

Guess the Animal Place zoo animal cards or animal crackers inside a bag or a bowl. Invite a child to pick a card and act out the animal for the other children to guess. When the children guess the animals the child gets to eat the animal  cracker!

100 Zoo Animals I went to the zoo  And what did I see? 100 animals  Looking at me.

There were 10 tall giraffes, eating from the trees. 10 silly monkeys, scratching on their knees. 10 sleeping snakes, lying in the sun. 10 munching elephants, eating peanuts one by one. 10 leaping tigers, performing in the shows, 10 pink flamingos, standing on their toes. 10 grouchy bears, trying to get some sleep. 10 happy hippos, in the water deep. 10 roaring lions, walking two by two. 10 galloping zebras, all living in the zoo. 

Favorite Zoo Animal Vote and Graph it Have the children vote for their favorite zoo animal and graph the results. Which animals did the most children like the best? 

Zoo Animals Science Activities

Zoo Animals Habitat and Small Word Play Use your sand table to create an area for water (blue fabric), an area of sand, an area of dirt, and an area with grass. Provide small toy zoo animals.  Talk about the different habitats and needs for each animal and how the zoo has to try to make a healthy enviroment for the animals. L et children place the animals in their correct habitat.

Animal Prints Use our Zoo Animals Skin, Fur, Prints Matching cards and let children match the animals to their prints.

Animal Characteristics Graphing Choose a zoo animal card and let children describe the body parts and physical characteristics of the animals, e.g., fur, feathers, scales. Make a graph with the different animals and their characteristics.

Free Zoo Animals Coloring Pages and Printables

Zoo Animals Talk

Do you hear the (lion, bear, elephant, toucan, snake) when you're at the zoo? They make this sound When the talk to you  (make the matching animals sound)

Zoo Animals Crafts

Paper Plate Lion   Paint the top of a paper plate a brown/orange color. Let dry. Cut slits about 1-inch wide and 2 inches long all the way around the edge of the plate. "Fluff up" the lion's mane by gently folding alternate strips up and down. Glue on pom-poms for the cheeks (brown) and nose (red). Add whiskers by cutting pipe cleaners, each about 6 inches long. Put a generous amount of glue on one end of each pipe cleaner piece and poke 3 or 4 under the bottom side of each cheek. Hang up your lion or add a stick and turn him into a puppet.

Other Great Preschool and Kindergarten Zoo Theme Activities and Links:

Great Zoo Coloring Pages

Make a Tiger Mask

Learn about the Zoo

Other Zoo related KidsSoup preschool and kindergarten activities and resources:

KidsSoup Resource Library Membership Gain unlimited access to our KidsSoup Resource Library member site with more than 10,000 activities and resources for preschool and kindergarten.

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Toddler Approved

Simple hands on activities for busy parents.

Zoo Animal Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

I love to take my kids to the zoo! They have so much fun seeing all of the animals and learning about them! Before and after we go to the zoo, we love to create simple zoo animal activities for my toddlers and preschoolers to help them learn the animal names and more about them!

Today I am going to share two of my favorite zoo animal themed activities that we love to do at animal themed parties and during our annual Zoo Week ! 

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

This week we are reading Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann as we participate in zoo week with our Weekly Virtual Book Club for Kids friends!

Two Awesome Zoo Animal Themed Activities for Kids

1. frozen animal science.

This zoo animal themed science activity is fun for kids of all ages!

Supplies for Zoo Animal Science

• plastic zoo animals
• tupperware container with lid
• cup of water
• large disposable aluminum pan
• turkey baster or squeeze bottle

Instructions for Zoo Animal Science

• Take your plastic animals and put them in a plastic tupperware. Fill the tupperware halfway with water.
• Next, freeze the animals, water, and tupperware for a few hours.
• Then add water all the way to fill the entire tupperware and freeze overnight.
• Once the animals and water are frozen in the tupperware, pop them out and place the chunk of ice in a large aluminum baking pan.
• Give kids cups of warm water and cold water and rock salt and a spoon and encourage them to squeeze water on the ice and explore the salt and see how quickly they can excavate the animals from the ice.
• Encourage the kids to make predictions about what will happen when they add warm or cold water, how they can make the ice melt faster, and what tools will help them the most.
• Once they have excavated all of the animals, rinse them off so that the kids can play with them!

This simple zoo animal themed science activity teaches kids about liquids and solids and helps them learn about cause and effect. 

2. Zoo Animal Tic Tac Toe

Some of our favorite zoo animals are lions and elephants! For this quick and easy tic tac toe game, we made our own homemade board game and paper plate game pieces.

Supplies for Zoo Animal Tic Tac Toe

• large bed sheet
• paper plates (5-6 per person)
• elephant zoo animal printable
• lion zoo animal printable

Instructions for Zoo Animal Tic Tac Toe

• Use duct tape and tape a tic tac toe board onto a large sheet (make sure there are 9 spaces on the board)
• Print out the elephant and lion printables (5-6 per animal)
• Cut out the printables and tape them the paper plates (there should be 5-6 lions and 5-6 elephants)
• Play tic tac toe! Each kid gets a turn to place their paper plates on the board. The child that gets three in a row wins the game!

For little toddlers, I love to help them try and put an elephant or lion in each square and we skip the actual tic tac toe taking turns game part... since sometimes that can be over their head!

Several of our favorite Virtual Book Club for Kids bloggers are sharing other favorite Goodnight Gorilla inspired zoo activities this week. Make sure to click on the links below to check them all out.

• Teaching Toddlers One to One Correspondence with Goodnight Gorilla from My Storytime Corner
• Feed the Lion Number Game - Rainy Day Mum
• Zoo Activities for Kids: Hold an Animal Fashion Show - Mama Smiles
• 5 Monkey Puppets to Use with your Toddlers- Rainy Day Mum
• Paper Bag Animals
• Zoo Themed Yoga Poses- The Educators' Spin On It
• Zoo Animal Salt Painting- Toddler Approved

Other Posts You Might Enjoy

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Zoo Activities for Preschoolers to Easily Engage Your Toddlers

We are off to the zoo to learn something new, and let me tell you: this zoo theme does not disappoint! These literacy zoo activities for preschoolers are hands-on and engaging ways to practice the alphabet, initial sounds, letter formation, and rhyming words. Perfect for your preschoolers to jump right in and get learning!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you by linking to Amazon.com. See the full  disclosure  here.

Zoo Lesson plans

• Alphabet Zoo Map

Identifying Initial Sounds

Commanda Randa. That is the nickname I got in Paris after showing my expert map-reading skills. I was named after the one and only Rand McNally. Not to brag or anything.

Now, even though we all rely heavily on our GPS to get us where we need to be, learning to read maps is still such an important skill . It combines reading with math, and it helps develop visual literacy. These skills can help our students with solving different types of problems later on. Plus they’ll be able to find their way around the Metro in Paris. 

This Alphabet Zoo Map takes a very basic approach to maps. The tan lines represent the paths to see the different animals around the zoo. My little ones loved pretending to walk on the paths until they spotted a new animal. Then, they named the animal, figured out the beginning sound, and found the matching letter to place on top. Such a fun and unique way to practice beginning letter sounds! Plus, it helped when we made our own zoo and zoo map in the blocks center!

• magnetic letters

Zoo Scavenger Hunt

Letter hunt & letter formation.

Binoculars give us a whole new perspective on the world. Even if they are made from cardboard tubes, binoculars help us focus in on one object and make us feel like we are secret spies on a mission. Especially when there’s a scavenger hunt involved!

I hung these zoo animal cards around the room for my little ones to find. To make it feel more like a zoo, I played a little background noise of zoo sounds, which only made my little ones tiptoe around even more, trying to quietly find the animals. 

The thrill of them finding an animal was pure joy to watch. Plus, it made me even more excited for our upcoming field trip to the zoo. 

After they found an animal, they either traced the letter with a marker to work on letter formation or colored in the picture. Both ways work on fine motor skills and pencil grip, just at their own level. 

• Zoo Scavenger Hunt (included with the Alphabet Zoo Map)
• cardboard tubes and tape to make binoculars

Letter Identification

Okay, now it’s time to get a little louder with some singing and roaring alphabet fun! 

And let me tell you, this activity NEVER disappoints ! 

Whether you are stomping and chomping with Alpha-Saurus or Alpha-Bear or now creeping and leaping with Alpha-Lion, your kiddos will love singing and feeding these lovable animals!

Set up is easy. Cut out the alphabet cards and place magnetic letters on top of the letter mat sitting on a cookie sheet.

Then, sing the song, quietly pretending to creep and loudly pretending to leap. Next, draw a card, find the matching letter on top of the board, and feed it to Alpha-Lion. Just open up the disinfecting wipes container and drop the letter in! 

No kid can resist this zoo activity for preschool!

• cookie sheet (Dollar Tree)
• large disinfecting wipes container

Fine Motor Literacy Activity

Part two of Alpha-Lion involves a quieter version of letter-matching. Mostly because it takes a lot of concentration to get those fine motor skills working on the clothespins! 

I stuck small alphabet stickers on clothespins (I just keep a set of uppercase and lowercase clothespins for many activities). Then, the kids matched the letters on the clothespins to the letters on the lion’s mane. Easy and effective. 

• lettered clothespins
• Penguin Alphabet

Letter Formation Cards

Sometimes all you need is a penguin topper.  ⁣ That’s it. ⁣ ⁣ All of a sudden my little one is eager to write every single letter of the alphabet. ⁣ ⁣ Now, I know there are many reluctant writers out there because, well, writing is HARD. It takes:

• concentration
• fine motor skills
• visual perception
• so much MORE

But there are ways to make it lure in the little ones. Today, it was done by adding penguin counters on top of our dry erase markers. Tomorrow, it will be something different. ⁣

Whatever you do, add a little something special or different that will make them want to work on those very difficult, but very important fine motor skills. 

• penguin counters (optional, but adds engagement)
• small dry erase markers
• Feed the Monkey

Initial Sounds Activity

Why is it the moment you try to sit down and take a break, your kids or students think: “That looks like the perfect place to climb.” The upside is that I stay really busy all day long to avoid becoming a human jungle gym. 

Which means I also want to keep those little monkeys busy with some more zoo activities for preschool.

This Feed the Monkey activity encourages your little ones to look at the letters in the monkey’s ear and determine the initial sound. Then, they feed bananas to the monkey, but only on the 3 pictures that start with that letter. Monkey noises and jumping encouraged (as long as it’s not on me!).

• banana counters

Rhyming Bingo

Literacy game.

Let’s be real. All it takes to get the kiddos excited is a good old-fashioned game of BINGO!

I remember when we used to play in elementary school, and the anticipation of who would yell out BINGO first would be so thrilling. Of course, I secretly hoped it would be me. But, you know, it’s BINGO.

This game of BINGO takes a different approach: with rhyming words!

There are several different cards that each have different words that pair with the rhyming word on the calling card. Also, there are cards with a 3×3 grid and a 4×4 grid – perfect to differentiate with your little learners.

Play with your class or small group today!

• Rhyming BINGO
• gems/counters

You might also like...

More zoo activities for preschoolers.

Would you like to save your evenings and weekends planning centers? Instead of struggling to come up with engaging and fun centers yourself, leave the work to me! All you have to do is print and do a little bit of prep, and your students (and you) will have so much fun with these literacy zoo activities for preschoolers! Did you know if you buy the whole zoo activities bundle, you save 20%? Click below to check it out and let me know if there’s anything you need to make these activities work for your preschoolers!

Discover More themed Activities

Meet Bethany

I am a former elementary school teacher and reading specialist, now stay-at-home-mom to my two beautiful, charismatic girls, Addison and Aria.

I’ve created engaging preschool learning activities grouped into themes to make it easy for you to implement teaching with play with your little learners, too!

© Turner Tots

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Stay At Home Educator

intentional teaching for purposeful learning

Free Zoo Animals Preschool Lesson Plans

March 11, 2021 by Sarah Punkoney, MAT

Hear the roars, squawks, and hisses! Preschoolers are absolutely enamored by animals, making a zoo animal theme an instant hit. Our free zoo animal preschool lesson plans are tailor-made for these little animal enthusiasts.

The plans are packed with arts and crafts projects, literacy exercises, and math activities that make learning fun and engaging. Plus, there’s an array of playful learning activities that will keep them excited and eager to learn more. It’s all part of our free preschool themes lesson plans collection .

So, let’s unleash the fun and turn your classroom into a vibrant mini-zoo where learning meets play!

With these zoo-themed lesson plans, preschoolers will embark on an adventure that stretches far beyond the classroom walls. By exploring different animals and their habitats, they’ll develop a broader understanding of biodiversity and the importance of conservation.

These lessons also provide a perfect platform for introducing basic math concepts like counting and sorting, using animal-themed activities to make the learning process more engaging. For instance, they might count the stripes on a zebra or sort animals based on their size.

On the literacy front, they’ll expand their vocabulary as they learn the names of different animals and their characteristics.

Furthermore, creating animal-themed arts and crafts will foster their creativity and fine motor skills. In essence, these zoo lesson plans offer a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience that nurtures their curiosity about the natural world.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that at no cost to you, I may earn a small sum if you click through and make a purchase.

Animal Theme Lesson Plan for Preschool

An animal preschool theme covers all animals, from pets to wild creatures and even mythical beings. It offers a variety of topics related to different animals’ habitats, behaviors, and features.

However, a zoo animal theme is narrower, focusing on animals you’d usually find in a zoo like elephants, lions, or monkeys. The lessons and activities are designed around understanding these specific animals, their zoo habitats, and conservation ideas.

Both themes encourage a love for animals, but a zoo animal theme dives deeper into exploring particular species found in zoos. These lesson plans specifically feature zoo animals.

Zoo Animals Lesson Plans for Preschool

When learning about something less tangible like zoo animals, it’s especially important to make your zoo animals activities hands-on. That’s why my Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans are filled with arts and crafts , literacy , and math options , plus fun zoo and playful learning activities that engage and excite.

And that’s exactly what you will get with these free zoo animals lesson plans for preschoolers!

Zoo Animal Literacy Activities for Preschoolers

Animal Alphabet Puzzles – Print as many animal alphabet puzzles as you like! Invite your preschooler to match the animal picture card with the corresponding letter.

You can take this activity up a notch and use the puzzle pieces to sort the animals in various ways: animals that you might see at the zoo, animals that are pets, animals that live in the forest, etc.

Or, encourage your preschooler to find the letters in their names and find the animals that begin with those same letters! Put Me in the Zoo! – Go to YouTube and listen to the story Put Me in the Zoo! by Dr. Seuss. After reading, ask your preschooler if they agree with the ending…should the animal live at the zoo or be a part of the circus? This is excellent oral language development!

Then invite your preschooler to make their very own spotted animal ! Using a paper plate and colorful pom-poms or markers, this animal will be very colorful just like the animal in the book. Encourage your preschooler to share their reasons why their animal will live in the zoo or at the circus.

Zoo Books for Preschoolers

One of the best ways to help children understand new concepts is by reading to them. Choose books that have fluid storylines and exceptional pictures.

Here is a zoo animals book list I created for you. They are my recommendations based on the picture books I use with my own preschoolers.

• Rockwell, Anne (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 32 Pages – 09/25/2018 (Publication Date) – Aladdin (Publisher)

• Bostrom, Kathleen Long (Author)
• 26 Pages – 04/30/2019 (Publication Date) – WorthyKids (Publisher)

• Hardcover Book
• Lithgow, John (Author)

• Campbell, Rod (Author)

• Put Me in the Zoo (I can read it all by myself’ Beginner Books)
• Lopshire, Robert (Author)

• Amazon Kindle Edition
• Chick, Bryan (Author)

Math and Science Activities for Zoo Animals Theme

It’s a Zoo Counting and Graphing Game – This is a fun printable board game that teaches one-to-one correspondence and graphing . Print the template here and roll the die as you identify and count the zoo animals! There are three different ways to win the game, and endless amounts of fun! Animal Cracker Counting – Grab some animal crackers and sort/count all the animals into categories. Get creative with the categories: animals that fly, animals that have feathers or fur, animals that are brown, etc. Help your preschooler determine the categories, plus have them re-sort and change it up! Giraffe Science Experiment – Using watercolor paints, paintbrushes, and paper towels, re-create giraffe spots! It’s simple to set up and your preschooler will want to do it again and again! Remind your preschoolers that each giraffe is unique and special just like each one of us. No two giraffes have the same pattern! Build a Zoo STEM Activity – Using paper towel tubes and some creativity, this building activity is great for challenging your little one to make interesting habitats, cages, paths, and plans for their animals. Encourage your budding engineer with this clever activity with endless possibilities and imagination!

Zoo Theme Toys for Preschoolers

Adding some zoo themed manipulatives or zoo themed counters makes learning all the more fun. Don’t forget about animal puppets and stuffed animals, too.

• 【Counting Animal Matching Games】A total of 36 brightly coloured zoo animals including lions,…

• 【Wooden Zoo Animals Stacking Toy】 This adorable set features 16 wooden zoo animals and a…

• Montessori at Home: The matching cards game is very popular, kids love to play this game! It’s fun…

• 🦁 Realistic Zoo Animals Toys for Kids: 24 jungle animals with realistic figures and an animal…

• 🎅 SAFARI ANIMALS: 14PCS unique non-repeating plastic jungle animals with vibrant colors, measure…

Fun Zoo Activities for Preschoolers

Sponge Squeeze – Grab some sponges of all sizes, washcloths/towels, and two buckets – one filled with water and one empty. Practice squeezing and transferring the water to the other bucket.

This is great for hand coordination and building strength! Add some plastic zoo animals and pretend to wash them. Paper Tunnels – Make paper tunnels in a snap with this simple activity! Use zoo animals, cars, or Legos to make it even more interesting. Encourage your preschooler to drive their cars through the tunnels and head to the zoo! Animal Dance and Freeze – Play this Animal Dance and Freeze song and copy the movements and dance along! After the song is over, make animal sounds and practice being in a zoo.

Are you in a cage? Are you slithering like a snake? Are you splashing in the water like a hippo?

Social-Emotional Activities for a Zoo Animals Preschool Theme

My Heart is Like a Zoo – Go to YouTube and listen to the book My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall. As you’re listening, talk about some of the big, new words in this story. What does it mean to be bothered? Snappy? Thoughtful?

We feel all those emotions often and sometimes in big ways. It helps to know that others feel the same way that we feel and they are just emotions/feelings that pass and change.

Animal Emotion Clip Cards – Interact with all sorts of emotions with these animal emotion clip cards . Simply download this printable activity and clip! You will need a clothespin for your preschooler to clip the matching animal that is feeling the same emotion.

These clip cards are a great way to encourage conversation around some of these overwhelming feelings like worry and anger.

Role-playing scenarios and possible strategies/solutions to these feelings is a helpful way to teach your preschooler how to manage these emotions more independently. Plus it’s fun to practice with these zany zoo animals!

Zoo Theme Preschool Lesson Plans

When lesson planning, don’t forget things like dramatic play, fun snacks, and arts and crafts.

Zoo Dramatic Play – Grab some play animals (stuffed or plastic) and set up your very own zoo. As the zookeeper, it’s your job to feed, wash, and care for the animals.

Encourage problem-solving like when an animal is sick and needs care, or all the animals need dinner. Great job, zookeeper! Zoo Snack Activity – Make a zoo-themed snack! From elephants to giraffes, monkeys to zebras, these fun snack ideas are a hit that will build your preschooler’s confidence in the kitchen and have them taste-testing new things! Feed the Polar Bears – Upcycle that old tissue box and feed the bears! Print these shape cards and practice your colors and shapes as you feed that hungry polar bear. Use the bear for counting goldfish or candy fish, too!

Online Books About the Zoo

Online Story – Go to YouTube and listen to the book Never Ever Shout in a Zoo by Karma Wilson. After reading this story, ask your preschooler to tell you what happens at the beginning of the story.

Once the little girl shouts, ruckus ensues! What happens at the end of the story when she shouts again? Using pictures as clues is a great way to figure out what is happening in the story.

Visit the Zoo – Can’t get to the zoo? No problem! Take a virtual field trip and join a group of preschoolers for a day at the zoo.

Let’s Go to the Zoo Video – Learn about all the animals of the zoo and move as they do!

Get Your FREE Zoo Animals Lesson Plans Here

Want to include these zoo animals activities in your lesson plans? No problem. I’ve made a printable for you. Just click the image below!

More Animal Theme Preschool Lesson Plans

Free Nocturnal Animals Lesson Plans for Preschool

Free Forest Preschool Lesson Plans

Free Mice Preschool Lesson Plans

Free Arctic Animals Preschool Lesson Plans

I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.

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Fantastic Fun & Learning

Fun learning activities and things to do with kids

Zoo Theme Sensory Play

By Shaunna Evans 11 Comments · This content may contain affiliate links.

Preschoolers are often fascinated by animals. Over the years we’ve shared a lot of animal theme activities to help you think of fun ideas for your little animal lovers. These zoo theme sensory play ideas are full of engaging ideas to engage kids in sensory exploration and help them learn about animals. Choose a zoo sensory bin to try soon!

Get a full week of zoo theme activities and printable lesson plans for  Home Preschool  or your  Preschool Classroom.

Learn all about zoo animals with this fun Zoo Theme Week activity.

This easy Zoo Sensory Play activity is perfect for a zoo unit study.

If your kids love zoo animals, then they will love this fun Sensory Activity Zoo: Animal Textures sensory bin.

This fun Muddy Zoo Sensory Bin is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners. 

You only need four materials to make this easy Mini Zoo Theme Rice Sensory Bin .

This Zoo Animal Bath Sensory Play is such a simple activity that will be an instant hit with your kids.

These fun The Little Lamb themed activities go great with the book!

Make this fun Safari Small World Sensory Play activity to learn all about safari animals.

Learn all about zebras with this cool Sweeping a Zebra Enclosure .

If your kids love Put Me in the Zoo, they will love this ‘Put Me in the Zoo’ Sensory Bin .

Your kids will love this Montessori-Inspired Zoo Animal Unit if they love visiting the zoo!

If you have little ones who just can’t resist a taste test, try setting up an edible sensory bin with this taste-safe zoo theme small world idea .

Get a Full Week of Zoo Theme Learning and Play

Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, and we’ve provided different versions for home preschool families and classroom teachers so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.

This set includes active hands-on learning ideas and the following printables:

1) Feed the Monkey Counting Game 2) Lion Ten Frame Counting Mats 3) Zoo Animal Measurement, Sorting, and Patterning Pieces 4) Zoo Beginning Sound Sort 5) At the Zoo Emergent Reader (2 variations) 6) Zoo Animal Upper and Lowercase Animal Matching Puzzles 7) Zoo Animal Matching Puzzles 8) Zoo Animal Counting Cards 9) Zoo Roll and Graph Counting Game 10) Zoo Animal Word Building Mats

Get Your Lesson Plans

Home Preschool Zoo Theme Lesson Plans

Preschool Classroom Zoo Theme Lesson Plans

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Sugar Aunts

June 28, 2013 at 10:03 pm

This is a great group of zoo bin! Love them 🙂 We are featuring your post tomorrow on Share It Saturday! Thanks for joining us 🙂 Colleen at Sugar Aunts

June 30, 2013 at 8:37 pm

Thank you for featuring this collection!

June 26, 2013 at 8:00 am

Thanks for sharing at Mom’s Library! I featured you!

June 26, 2013 at 7:55 pm

Thanks for featuring this post!

June 24, 2013 at 2:28 am

We L.O.V.E. Sensory boxes here 🙂 Thanks for sharing all these wonderful ideas!

Your post has been selected to feature on this weeks Hearts of the Home Blog Hop on Monsters Ed. Congratulations!!! http://monstersed.wordpress.com/2013/06/27/hearts-for-the-home-blog-hop-5/

June 25, 2013 at 8:48 am

I know what you mean! So many fun activities to do with sensory boxes!

Jaime “FSPDT” JJ

June 18, 2013 at 2:29 pm

Thanks so much for the feature!

June 18, 2013 at 12:18 pm

Love all these bins. I can see Aarya loving each one of them 🙂

June 22, 2013 at 8:09 am

Aren’t they fun? I thought so, too!

Amy @ Wildflower Ramblings

June 18, 2013 at 9:52 am

Thanks for featuring my Lamb Sensory Bin, Shaunna!! Have a great week, Amy

June 22, 2013 at 8:10 am

So glad to include it! Thanks for sharing.

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Fun Zoo Animal Activities

Discover the wild side of fun with my unique and fun collection of fun zoo animal activities for kids!

Searching for more activities for your animal lovers? Check out my fun list of animal activities for kids .

It’s time to turn your animal lover’s curious mind and restless energy into an educational safari at home that promises laughter and learning in equal measure!

From crafty creations that bring the entire animal kingdom into your living room to light and inspiring books that teach fascinating zoo life facts, I’ve got everything you need to capture your child’s interest and run their imagination endlessly!

These zoo ideas are designed to not only entertain but also to educate, encouraging a love for the natural world and living creatures.

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Read my disclosure policy here.

How do you teach kids about zoo animals?

Taking kids to the zoo is like opening a big, exciting book full of surprises about the animal kingdom, where every page turn reveals something new and exciting for your young ones!

Imagine their eyes lighting up when they see a magnificent elephant for the first time or hear a lion’s mighty roar. But it’s not just about being amazed; it’s also a golden opportunity to teach empathy and respect for animals.

While visiting the zoo, you can share fun facts about each animal. Make their visit interactive with educational games and exercises.

Your animal fan will be inspired and may become the next generation of wildlife protectors and nature enthusiasts!

Recommended Zoo Animal Books

Zoos can be enjoyed at home too! Make sure to check out this great selection of books about zoos and the animals that live in them.

Book Lists About Zoo Animals

Zoo Books for Kids

It’s easy to encourage reading among your animal-lover kids with this fun collection of farm animal books!

Zoo Books for Kindergarten

Are your kindergarteners animal lovers and book lovers at the same time? They will surely cuddle up with a good book from this fun selection of Zoo books for kindergarten.

Turtle Books for Kindergarten

Learn more about these friendly reptiles by reading a great book with inspiring stories and fun facts!

Snake Books for Kindergarten

Slither into the world of the snakes and learn more about them by picking up a couple of great books from this selection of snake books for kindergarten.

Snake Books for Preschoolers

Snakes can be a bit scary, especially for children but these books will help change their minds for sure!

Recommended Zoo Animal Printables

Zoo Pretend Play Pack

Let your kids have an unforgettable time with their friends and family with this fun Zoo pretend play pack. Complete with Zoo signage, staff IDs, and animal charts!

Animal Alphabet and Number Writing Worksheets

Leverage your child’s love for animals to develop their love for numbers, reading, and writing through these fun animal worksheets!

Junior Scientist Science Study: Turkey Life Cycle

Turkeys are one of the most adorable land animals your kids can find in a zoo, learn more about their life cycle through this engaging printable activity.

Recommended Zoo Animal Activity Kits

Make your young zoologists’ experience much more fun with this variety of adorable and unique zoo animal-themed toys and activities for kids. Toy figurines and puppets are best for pretend plays! Plus, don’t miss your chance to grab the sewing, painting, and craft kits too!

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Zoo Animal Crafts for Preschoolers

From creating elephants using balloons and lions using a fork, your preschoolers will surely have a fun time!

Elephant Paper Plate Craft

Do your kids love elephants? This easy and pretty craft will entertain kids of all ages!

Turtle Paper Cup Craft

Turtles are probably one of the cutest animals your kids can find in a zoo, help them create their own using simple materials such as paper cups.

Zoo Animal Activities for Kids

Zoo Activities for Elementary Students

Introduce your kids to different zoo animals like tigers, monkeys, tigers, and more while picking up useful skills like creativity and cognitive skills in these fun zoo activities.

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Who says learning STEM has to be difficult? Incorporate your child’s favorite animal in the zoo with this fun list of activities that promote STEM learning.

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Planning a zoo trip soon? Check out all of my useful tips on how to make the most of a zoo field trip with your child.

Zoo Activities for Preschoolers

From sensory activities to matching games, involve your kids with these child development activities that focus on their favorite zoo animals!

Zoo Animal Printables

Kangaroo Coloring Pages

This hopping marsupial mammal is a fascinating zoo animal that can take your child’s interest in biology and coloring to the next level.

Lion Coloring Pages

Make way for the king of the jungle and the zoo! Learn more about these majestic beasts as your kids get to practice their coloring skills and fine motor skills too.

Printable Snake Coloring Pages

Learn more about these slithering animals while practicing your child’s fine motor skills, self-expression, and creativity through coloring.

Printable Zoo Scavenger Hunt by Darcy and Brian

Develop collaboration and teamwork among your children and their friends as they play this fun zoo scavenger hunt.

Letter Z is for Zoo by 3 Boys and a Dog

Perfect for kids who are practicing their writing, recognizing letters, and knowing more zoo animals.

Don’t forget! You don’t have to visit the zoo all the time for your kids to learn about zoo animals and their habitats, you can create a fun and engaging curriculum for your kids and learn about zoo animals at home with these fun activities!

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I share educational printables and activities to help homeschoolers make learning science fun and engaging!

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Put Me in the Zoo Activities

Are you looking for fun and educational ways to engage your little ones? Look no further than these Put Me in the Zoo activities for preschoolers !

The beloved children’s book, “Put Me in the Zoo” by Dr. Seuss, is not only a joy to read but also offers a wealth of learning opportunities for young children.

We will explore some exciting preschool activities inspired by “Put Me in the Zoo.” From sensory play to art projects, there are endless possibilities for hands-on learning and creativity perfect for your Dr Seuss activities for preschool .

But before we dive into the activities, let’s take a journey through the colorful world of Spot, the lovable creature who longs to be in the zoo.

Put Me in the Zoo

Through Spot’s adventures, Dr. Seuss teaches us important themes such as self-expression, patience, and perseverance.

These themes are crucial for young children to learn as they grow and develop. By incorporating them into our activities, we can make learning fun and engaging for our little ones.

Get ready to join us on a wild and wonderful adventure through the pages of "Put Me in the Zoo." We promise you and your child will have a blast while learning and growing together.

As Dr. Seuss once said, "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose."

Let's choose to steer ourselves towards learning and fun with "Put Me in the Zoo"!

Put Me in the Zoo Cookies

This Dr Seuss preschool snack idea is so much fun! These Put Me in the Zoo inspired cookies are as yummy as they are cute!

Put Me In the Zoo Activities Your Toddler Will Love

Kids will enjoy painting, sorting, and matching with these  Put Me in the Zoo fine motor activities . 

Put Me in the Zoo Mix Snack

Kids will love helping you make a quick and easy  Put Me in the Zoo snack  to munch on while you read. 

Paper Bag Leopard Puppet

Paper bag puppets are lots of fun for kids to make. They’re going to love this  Dr Seuss-inspired leopard puppet . 

Put Me in the Zoo Craft for Preschoolers

Try this  Put Me in the Zoo paper plate craft  which will have kids working on their fine motor skills while they scrunch tissue paper squares. 

Literacy Snack Idea Spots + Free Printable

You won’t believe how easy it is to turn a waffle into a fun  Put Me in the Zoo breakfast treat ! 

Pre-K Unit Study for Put Me in the Zoo -

Check out all the fun activities you can do to create a  Put Me in the Zoo unit study for preschoolers . 

‘Put Me in the Zoo’ Sensory Bin

Set up this fun  Put Me in the Zoo sensory bin  for your little ones to explore while you read. 

Paper Plate Leopard Craft

Give your kids a circle punch to punch out “spots” for their  Dr Seuss inspired leopard kid craft . 

Make These Adorable Put Me In The Zoo Treats

Mix up a batch of  rice krispie treats , and let your kids help you decorate them to look like the leopard from Put Me in the Zoo.

Dr. Seuss Treats Put Me in The Zoo Chocolate Bark

Add this  Put Me in the Zoo chocolate bark  to your story time snack list! 

Must Have Resources:

When completing these crafts and activities at home, I find that the following resources are very helpful to have on hand.

Round Out Your Unit with These Activities:

Bring the story to life with this detailed set of Put Me in the Zoo peg dolls featuring Spot, the girl, and the boy!

Hang this Put Me in the Zoo book pages ornament on your Christmas tree or in your classroom all year long!

This colorful Put Me in the Zoo t-shirt is perfect to wear when reading this story to your preschoolers.

It’s easy to see why “Put Me in the Zoo” is such a beloved children’s book. Not only does it provide an entertaining story, but also teaches valuable lessons about self-expression and perseverance.

With these Put Me in the Zoo activities for preschoolers, you can help your little one learn while having fun together! From sensory play to art projects, there are plenty of ways to engage with this classic Dr. Seuss tale and make learning enjoyable for all ages.

We hope these activities will inspire you and your child on your own wild adventure through “Put Me in the Zoo”!

Tara is the brains behind Homeschool Preschool, where her journey from preschool and public school teacher to homeschooling mom of three fuels her passion for early childhood education. With a blend of expertise and firsthand experience, Tara’s writings offer practical tips and engaging resources to support families in creating meaningful learning adventures at home.

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15 Best Movement Activities for Preschoolers in 2024

1. Sneaky Shapes Games

2. ball dunk: toss up games, 3. animal walks, 4. obstacle course, 5. freeze dance, 6. balloon toss, 7. parachute play, 8. simon says, 9. yoga for kids, 10. connect the ‘dots’.

Is your little one a ball of nonstop energy?  Movement activities for preschoolers are the perfect way to channel that energy and help them learn and grow while they play! This blog post is packed with fun ideas to get your preschooler moving and grooving.

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15 Fun Movement Activities for Preschoolers

In this online game , children drag and drop different shapes into matching outlines. It’s designed to enhance fine motor skills and shape recognition. This game is perfect for young learners as it helps develop precision with finger movements, making it an engaging and educational activity for little ones.

This is an interactive online game where children aim and toss a virtual ball into a moving or stationary basket. The game focuses on improving hand-eye coordination and precision. It’s simple yet challenging, providing lots of fun as kids try to time their throws perfectly to score a basket. This game is great for practicing aiming skills in a playful and supportive virtual environment.

In this activity, children pretend to be different animals. Instruct them to choose an animal and demonstrate how it moves: bear crawling on hands and knees, frog hopping from a squatting position, or snake slithering on its belly. 

How it Helps: This is one of the most fun movement games that allows children to use their bodies in various ways. Engaging in this game helps develop their motor skills and expands their creativity by allowing them to imagine themselves as different animals.

Set up a simple obstacle course using household items like pillows to jump over, boxes to crawl through, and toys to zigzag around. Encourage the children to go through the course as quickly as possible while navigating the obstacles safely. 

This movement idea is perfect for preschoolers as it helps enhance their physical coordination and agility. It also teaches them to follow instructions and solve physical challenges.

Play music and let the children dance freely around the room. When the music stops, they must immediately freeze in whatever position. This activity is a fun way to teach children about rhythm and to react quickly to changes. 

Freeze Dance is effective for improving listening skills and reaction times, making it a great addition to movement games for preschoolers.

Give each child a balloon and ask them to keep it in the air using only their hands or feet. They can toss it up gently and catch or hit it before it touches the ground. This activity is enjoyable and helps children develop their hand-eye coordination and balance. It’s an excellent choice for movement activities for preschoolers because it encourages them to control their movements and stay focused on the balloon.

If you are looking for mess free play time, here is a fun online balloon pop game you should try:

Use a large parachute or a bedsheet, and have the children hold the edges. Everyone should lift it high and then lower it down, creating waves. Place lightweight balls on the parachute and try to keep them bouncing without falling off. This game improves teamwork and coordination among preschoolers, as they learn to work together and predict the parachute’s movements.

Lead a game of “Simon Says” by instructing the children to perform different actions like jumping high, stomping loudly, or twirling around, only when “Simon says” to do so. This game sharpens listening skills and enhances physical awareness as children engage in a variety of motor movements. It’s a fun way to encourage active listening and quick responses.

Teach simple yoga poses suitable for young children, such as the tree pose, where they balance on one foot, or the cat-cow, where they arch and round their backs. These poses help improve flexibility and balance. Introducing yoga is beneficial for preschoolers as it promotes a sense of calm and helps them practice focus and body awareness.

Create large dots on the floor with tape or paper. Ask children to connect the dots by walking, hopping, or jumping from one to the next in a sequence. This activity enhances their ability to follow directions and recognize patterns. It is a fundamental part of creative movement activities as it allows children to explore space and practice their locomotor skills.

11. Alphabet Scavenger Hunt

Hide objects around the room or outdoor area that start with different letters of the alphabet. Give each child a list of letters to find. This scavenger hunt is a dynamic way to incorporate learning with physical activity, making it an exciting choice for action activities for preschoolers. It encourages them to move around while enhancing their letter recognition and problem-solving skills.

12. Action Songs & Rhymes

Use songs that include instructions for movements, such as “If You’re Happy and You Know It” or “The Hokey Pokey.” These songs engage children in music and movement activities, helping them to listen and move according to the lyrics. Singing and performing the actions improve their motor skills, coordination, and rhythm.

13. Skip Counting Hopscotch

Draw a hopscotch grid on the ground and number the squares for skip counting (like 2, 4, 6, 8, etc.). As children hop on each square, they count out loud. This game is a fantastic way to combine physical exercise with learning math concepts. It’s one of the best creative movement activities that encourage children to think and move simultaneously, enhancing both cognitive and physical development.

14. Bean Bag Toss

Set up several targets using boxes or hoops at varying distances. Give each child a bean bag and let them try to toss it into the targets. This activity is excellent for developing children’s aiming skills and hand-eye coordination. It also encourages them to understand distance and force as they learn how hard to throw the bean bag to reach different targets.

15. Duck, Duck, Goose

Have the children sit in a circle. One child walks around the outside of the circle, tapping each seated child lightly on the head while saying “duck” each time. Randomly, they will say “goose” when tapping a child, who must then jump up and chase the “it” around the circle. The goal is to tag that child before they can sit down in the vacant spot. This game is a fun way to develop quick reflexes and speed and social interaction among preschoolers.

4 Benefits of Movement Activities for Preschoolers

Movement activities for preschoolers are more than just fun ways to burn energy. They help your little one grow strong and healthy in many ways!

• Running , jumping, and throwing – these movement activities build gross motor skills, which your child needs for climbing, playing sports, and everyday activities. They also help with fine motor skills, like holding a crayon or kicking a ball with control. Plus, coordination gets a boost, helping your child move their body smoothly.
• Movement activities are like a brain workout! They help develop your child’s brain, improve memory, and even build problem-solving skills . Think about it: figuring out how to climb over a pillow obstacle course is like solving a mini-challenge!
• Playing tag or sharing a parachute with other kids encourages teamwork, cooperation, and communication. These movement activities help your child learn to work together, share, and make new friends!
• Movement activities aren’t just physical. They help your child manage emotions, like calming down after a meltdown or releasing energy when restless. They can also reduce stress and boost your child’s self-esteem, making them happy and confident!

Incorporating various movement activities for preschoolers into their daily routine is essential for their physical and cognitive development. These fun and engaging activities help little ones grow stronger, smarter, and more coordinated, making learning through play a joyful experience for everyone involved.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a movement activity.

A movement activity involves physical actions that increase mobility and exercise different parts of the body. These activities are often designed to improve health, coordination, strength, and cognitive skills through playful and structured exercises.

What are the 4 types of movement?

The four types of movement are locomotor, non-locomotor, manipulative, and stabilizing. Locomotor movements involve traveling from one place to another, like walking or jumping. Non-locomotor movements are performed without traveling, such as twisting or bending. Manipulative movements involve handling objects with control, like throwing or catching. Stabilizing movements focus on maintaining balance and posture.

What are the 5 movement patterns?

The five basic movement patterns are push, pull, hinge, squat, and rotation. These patterns cover the fundamental ways in which the body can move and are essential for performing daily activities efficiently and safely. They are used in various combinations in all physical activities and exercises.

What are some sensory movement activities?

Sensory movement activities include crawling through tunnels, jumping on a trampoline, or playing with textured balls.

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