• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching Expertise

  • Home
  • Classroom Ideas
  • Technology
  • Teacher’s Life
  • Deals & Shopping
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • Classroom Ideas
  • Technology
  • Teacher’s Life
  • Deals & Shopping
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

20 Educational Zoo Activities for Preschoolers

preschool zoo activities

May 27, 2022 //  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

goodnight-gorrilla-activities.jpg

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

feed-the-lion-counting-game-for-toddlers-and-preschoolers-feature-600x900.jpg

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

yoga.jpg

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 

saltpaintingwithzooanimals.jpg.jpg

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 

paper-plate-monkey.jpg

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

Learn more: Rainy Day Mum

6. Play a Game of Barrel of Monkeys

3727_a__90619.jpg?v=1615448326

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

2013_07_02_9999_30

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 

Zoo-Sorting-Tray_A-Little-Pinch-of-Perfect-5.webp

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 

au-l-526361-zoo-stick-puppets_ver_6.jpg

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

DSC_0146-1024x678.jpg

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 

Printable-Alphabet-Animal-Flashcards-for-Early-Learners-711x373.jpg

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

ZooPuzzlesPIN-copy.png

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

zoo-counting-clip-cards-5.jpg

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

0027164403.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_SX500_.jpg
Shop Now on Amazon

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

Zoo+Activities+for+Toddlers+and+Preschoolers+-+Oh+Hey+Let%27s+Play+www.ohheyletsplay.com.jpg.png.jpg.png?format=1500w

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

Slide3.JPG

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

15.jpg

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

Related posts:

24 Fun Classroom Activities for Middle School Students
55 Best Graphic Novels for Middle Schoolers
20 Fun and Easy Atom Activities for Different Grade Levels

You'll also like:

No related posts.

Category: Classroom Ideas

Previous Post: «preschool veterans day crafts and activities 20 Veteran’s Day Crafts and Activities for Preschool
Next Post: 20 Community Helpers Preschool Activities community helpers preschool activities»

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • 23 Pyramid-Inspired Activity Ideas 
  • 20 Writing Activities To Bring MLK’s Legacy To Life
  • 30 Egg-citing Easter Writing Activities
  • 7 Think Win-Win Activities For Older Learners
  • 20 Cute Crankenstein Activities For Kids
  • 20 Exciting Crime Scene Investigation Math Activities