This collection of classroom resources covers a wide span of activities for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. There are projects, games, videos, and hands-on crafts that are sure to delight learners of all ages. Students will learn about a wide variety of habitats from Himalayan mountain ranges to cold, brackish waters, and study animals as diverse as the American river otter and the ray-finned fish.
1. Test Your Knowledge of Animal Habitats
After learning about the main animal habitats, students can pair up to test each other on the various features and animals that live in each habitat.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
2. Create a Colorful Shoebox Habitat Diorama
Using a shoebox is a cheap and easy way to get learners thinking about the habitat needs of various animals. Physically incorporating these elements into their diorama will help them make more memorable connections than reading or writing alone.
Learn More: Generation Genius
3. Play a Fun Animal Habitat Sorting Game
This fun sorting game features nine habitats, home to various animals including bears, tree frogs, and orangutans.
Learn More: Kiddy Charts
4. Visit A Local Pond
What better way to learn about habitats than to visit one in person? Ponds are teeming with a huge variety of aquatic plants and animals; some easier to spot than others. Treat the day as an adventure hunt and let learners explore with magnifying glasses and notebooks, to draw and take notes on what they see to share later with the group.
Learn More: KC EDventures
5. Create Your Own Prismatic Ocean in a Jar
Did your learners know that sea creatures live in different ocean zones? They’ll be able to observe this separation with this vibrant project! Task them with gently filling a jar with navy blue corn syrup, light blue dish soap, and vegetable oil. Finally, have them slowly pour in water before inviting them to observe how the liquids remain separate, just like the zones in an ocean.
Learn More: Little People Thinking Big
6. Create a Desert Habitats Lapbook
By creating their own desert lapbook, students can learn about desert climate, and the definition of an oasis, and appreciate the variety of plant and animal life beyond exotic reptiles, snakes, and cacti that call this driest of habitats their home.
Learn More: Homeschool Share
7. Watch the Magnificent Planet Earth Series
The Planet Earth series is a visually stunning way for students to see mountains, oceans, rainforests, and other colorful habitats in action. To ensure that they are learning instead of just passively watching, it will help to pair the series with questions from a resource like the one below.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
8. Animal Habitats Video Quiz
Students can’t seem to get enough of guessing games and this one is sure to become a favorite. Primary learners can raise their hands to guess where different animals live. This is a fun activity to do a class as well as an informal way to gauge student understanding through direct observation.
Learn More: Armagan Citak
9. Visit an Aquarium
While aquarium admission may not be cheap, the lessons learned from seeing aquatic plants, box turtles, colorful reef fish, and ocean habitats in person are priceless. You can prepare activities or questions for students to answer during their visit, but be sure to give them ample time to learn and explore on their own.
Learn More: Nature Matters with Dr. Jenny
10. Map the Journey of the Polar Express
Who hasn’t wanted to explore the North Pole on the magical Polar Express? This cross-curricular activity allows students to learn all about how a normal food chain works, food availability, habitat range, and habitat structures in this coldest of cold habitats.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
11. Play a Game of Bingo at the Zoo
By creating bingo charts of animals and their habitats ahead of your visit, you can ensure that students will keep their eyes peeled for every last one. There’s no need to spend a great deal of time sitting when there are wild animals to see at every turn.
Learn More: Mommy University
12. Play a Tropical Rainforest Escape Room Game
This fully online resource is great for remote learning. Students can’t escape the room unless they can answer all the rainforest habitat questions. Since learners will check their own answers, there is absolutely no prep to do! Sit back, relax and enjoy watching kids learn at their own pace.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
13. Saltwater vs Freshwater Sorting Activity
While it may be easy to tell a deciduous forest habitat apart from a polar habitat, marine habitats are trickier. By practicing with these cut-out examples, students will develop a clearer understanding of the differences between these deceptively similar water bodies.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
14. Build a Himalayan Habitat Diorama
Most students assume that mountain habitats aren’t home to more than goats and a few snakes. But that’s far from the truth. By assembling this Himalayan diorama, they’ll discover every creature from the snow leopard to the black-necked crane that inhabits this majestic mountain range.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
15. Discover Micro-Habitats in the Schoolyard
Micro-habitats can be any small section of a larger habitat such as a rock pool or a rotting log. In this activity, students will study micro-habitats in their school playground or garden to better understand how they differ from larger natural habitats.
Learn More: Twinkl
16. Food Chains in the Tundra Habitat
In this fun online game, students will learn about how different animals in the tundra form a food chain. They will then test their understanding by building their own food chain.
Learn More: BBC
17. Study the Life Cycle of a Sea Turtle
It’s important for students to understand that animals are not stagnant, but ever-changing, even while living in the same habitat. By studying the life cycle of various aquatic turtles, from box turtles in a turtle cove to giant leatherback turtles, they will learn to appreciate the dynamic nature of these beautiful creatures.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
18. Animal Research Project
What better way to get learners thinking about the unique and indispensable role of each animal in habitat than with a research project? They are sure to love diving deep into the physical traits and habitat needs of their favorite animal. This project can be paired with a presentation to enrich class-wide learning.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
19. Create a Minecraft Bee Colony
It’s the rare student who doesn’t love a good game of Minecraft. By building their own Minecraft “beetopias” to support and grow their very own bee colonies, students will learn the four stages of a bee’s life, describe what a bee needs to survive, and identify common threats to their survival.
Learn More: Minecraft Education Edition
20. Read Aloud About Animal Habitats
Sometimes, a good read-aloud is all your class needs to get transported to a different world. This classic and simple read is sure to educate and entertain.
Learn More: Parkway Village Kinder
21. Animal Habitats Cootie Catcher Game
Making cootie catches may have been taboo, but this game changes the rules! It’s designed with images and descriptions of various habitats that students can happily use to play and learn with each other.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
22. Jungle Jeopardy
The more animals and plants they add to this virtual jungle, the more points students will win! It’s free, easy to play, and completely remote.
Learn More: Plum Landing
23. Design a Habitat for an Imaginary Animal
Students love to use their imaginations and are sure to be inspired to create elaborate new worlds for these whimsical creatures.
Learn More: Twinkl
24. Ocean Animals Slideshow
Why not sit back and enjoy this slideshow of the magical creatures that inhabit our marine waters? The sea is meant to be seen (pun intended) and this visual tour will transport students there faster than any book or worksheet.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
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